Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was fined $11,255 for taunting during Sunday’s AFC championship game victory over the Buffalo Bills, the league announced Saturday. The taunt that prompted the fine came after a touchdown run by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the final two minutes of the second quarter. Kelce approached Bills safeties Damar Hamlin and Cole Bishop, aggressively nodding his head as he said something.
Multiple referees were standing near Kelce at the time of the taunt, but none of them threw a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct, which would have cost the Chiefs 15 yards after the play, either on the extra point try or the ensuing kickoff. However, the referees did throw a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips after he responded to Kelce’s taunt by headbutting the tight end.
Phillips was also fined $6,722 for the headbutt. The Chiefs won the game, 32-29, and many fans expressed outrage over multiple calls that benefited Kansas City during the game. Officials ruled Bills quarterback Josh Allen was stopped short of a first down on a 4th-and-short play in the fourth quarter, and during the second quarter, officials ruled Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy made a catch despite video replay showing the ball touched the ground.
The game was not without controversy, with fans and some analysts criticizing several calls made by the referees. In the aftermath of the game, Mahomes addressed the issue of referees giving him preferential treatment, saying he didn’t feel that way and that the referees are doing their best to call the game fairly. Kelce, on the other hand, refused to address the issue when asked by his brother, Jason Kelce, on their podcast.
