Patrick Mahomes isn’t the only member of the Chiefs who may have studied the art of the flop.
Tony Romo accused star tight end Travis Kelce of flopping during the Chiefs’ thrilling AFC Championship win over the Bills on Sunday in a moment that led to a flag against the Bills.
When Mahomes, 29, rushed for a touchdown late in the first half, Bills safety Damar Hamlin brought the quarterback down after he crossed the plane, with Kelce, 35, then getting in the face of the Buffalo defender.
“Kelce came over and said, ‘What’s up with that?’” Jim Nantz remarked on the CBS broadcast while Romo added, “Kelce knows how to get under your skin.”
Moments later, Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips entered the fray and connected with Kelce’s helmet, with the tight end throwing his hands up after contact — a move that didn’t go unnoticed by Romo, 44.
“Tries for the flop,” the former quarterback said on the broadcast.
Phillips was flagged for unnecessary roughness.
The Chiefs ultimately defeated Buffalo, 32-29, en route to their third Super Bowl in the last three years.
Kelce, chasing his fourth ring with Kansas City, had two receptions for 19 yards in the conference championship.
The Chiefs’ latest playoff run hasn’t been without controversy.
In addition to questionable rulings in Sunday’s AFC title game, the officiating in the Chiefs’ Divisional Round win over the Texans this month sparked outrage and further fueled the narrative of how certain calls tend to favor the reigning Super Bowl champs.
Although a particular play in the Jan. 18 contest didn’t result in a flag, it did spotlight Mahomes’ acting skills after a dramatic fall to the ground out of bounds triggered flopping accusations.
“I would say that the only one I felt like I probably did too much was the one on the sideline where I didn’t get a flag and the ref saw it and didn’t throw a flag, and I understood it immediately,” Mahomes said last week on a radio spot, “and know that I probably shouldn’t have done that.”
The Chiefs will next face the Eagles in Super Bowl 2025 as they look to make history as the first team to three-peat.
The two teams met in the championship contest in 2023, when Kansas City prevailed, 38-25.
