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Update; Patrick Mahomes Questioned By Reporter About Taking Advantage of QB Protection Rules
Patrick Mahomes Questioned By Reporter About Taking Advantage of QB Protection Rules
- Kansas CityThe talk of the NFL world this week has been the controversial hit Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence took from Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair while sliding during Sunday’s game in Jacksonville.
The play—which resulted in Lawrence being placed on injured reserve and Al-Shaair being suspended for three games—has sparked debate league-wide about the rules surrounding protecting quarterbacks, how fair they are to defenders, and if QBs are taking advantage of them.
One player who’s often been criticized for the way he tiptoes down the sideline in a way that can be seen as baiting defenders into hitting him is Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The KC signal caller was asked about it this Wednesday amid the Lawrence situation:
“I’m just playing football at the end of the day,” Mahomes explained. “I don’t feel like I’ve ever put anybody in jeopardy of not wanting to hit me. I know when you get in the open field guys want to hit you and I get down when I feel like it’s necessary to get down, but there’s times in big spots in the games where I know I need to get first downs and I go for it.”
Over his seven-year playing career, 28 roughing-the-passer penalties have been called on Mahomes—the eighth most among active quarterbacks behind Russell Wilson, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, Jared Goff, Josh Allen and Carson Wentz.
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Mike Kadlick is a breaking/trending news writer at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI, he covered the New England Patriots for WEEI sports radio in Boston and continues to do so for CLNS Media. He graduated from Boston University with his Master’s in 2021. Mike is also an avid runner and a proud lover of all things pizza.
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Travis Kelce Makes Blunt Admission on His Chemistry Issues With Patrick Mahomes
By Kristen Wong
Travis Kelce hasn’t been shy about airing his frustrations amid his down year with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The star tight end got his 2024 season off to a slow start, attracting plenty of criticism from the NFL media, and he still hasn’t quite found his elite form. His ongoing offensive woes could be partially due to his surprising chemistry disconnect with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, as Kelce discussed Wednesday.
The Mahomes-Kelce link that has been so consistent for the Chiefs over the last several years appears to be fading this season, and Kelce doesn’t really know why.
“Once we get in that red zone, man, I get a little hungrier and right now, for whatever reason this year, I just can’t find my way in the end zone,” Kelce said on New Heights (at the 15:45 mark in the video). “I’m just not on the same page as Pat and it can get frustrating. It can get f—ing frustrating, that’s for d— sure.”
The Chiefs, who currently rank 24th in red zone efficiency, saw their offensive drives stalled time after time in last week’s sluggish win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Kelce brought in seven catches on 13 targets for 68 yards in the victory but couldn’t find pay dirt and only has a pair of touchdowns through 12 games this year.
“As s—y as I’ve played, it does feel good to be in my 10th year in a row making the playoffs,” continued Kelce. “We gotta win the division, that’s another goal that we gotta reach… We just gotta finish strong, baby. Just finish strong and get violently accurate with our intentions.”
Kelce will look to get back on the scoreboard in Sunday’s divisional matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium.
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Travis Etienne Gave Heartwarming Advice to Trevor Lawrence on Injury Recovery
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered a concussion on Sunday after Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who is now suspended for three games, hit him late on a play.
With just five games left in the season, Lawrence is likely out for the year.
His teammates, including running back Travis Etienne Jr., reached out to Lawrence to let him know he has their support. Etienne shared a bit more about what he told his quarterback on the phone, specifically mentioning how Lawrence is set to become a dad to a baby girl soon.
“I was like ‘Man, I know I don’t say this much, but I love you,'” Etienne said in response to Florida Times-Union’s Demetrius Harvey. “I told him, ‘you have a daughter—you have a blessing that’s coming. So get right, take care of yourself, take care of your family. And we’ll be here holding it down for you and waiting until you get back next year.'”
It sounds like the quarterback and running back really have a tight bond.
Lawrence and his wife Marissa announced they were expecting their first child back in June. The quarterback, who signed a five-year extension with the Jaguars in June as well, will become a dad with his time off from football now.
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