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hen comedian and host of the 2021 NFL Honors, Keegan-Michael Key, took a shot at Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during the award ceremony, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was sitting just a few feet away from Key.
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Kelce got to speak about the incident with SB Nation’s Arrowhead Pride on February 11. He was asked what was going through his mind when the joke was made about Mahomes, and if Mahomes will use the joke as motivation moving forward.
“I don’t know if you can find too much to motivate Pat [Mahomes] even more,” Kelce explained. “I mean, the guy is one of the most motivated people I’ve ever met in my life. He’s the ultimate competitor, he’s just always trying to find ways to get better.
“You know, Keegan[-Michael Key], he’s an awesome guy, he’s absolutely hysterical,” Kelce continued. “I respect the try, but I think it was really a dig at me because I called game on his Los Angeles Chargers a couple weeks back and he was in attendance. I actually got to meet him on the field before that game. So I think it was a little bit of a dig knowing that, eh, I got you during the season.”
Kelce also said he thought about booing when Key made the joke about Mahomes but refrained from doing so.
The Chiefs-Chargers game Kelce was referring to was on December 16 when Kansas City beat Los Angeles 34-28 in overtime. That game was capped off with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes to Kelce, in which Kelce found a gap in coverage, caught the ball, maneuvered around several defenders, and got in the end zone.
Key Uses Joe Burrow Topic to Roast Mahomes
Key took his shot at Mahomes while talking about Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s pregame outfit before Cincinnati’s victory over Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game.
“This outfit is so mind-blowing, Patrick Mahomes saw a picture of this outfit at halftime and forgot how to play football,” Key said.
Twitter Reacts to Joke About Mahomes
Some of the Twitter users that were watching the NFL Honors reacted to Key’s joke about Mahomes.
“Keegan-Michael Key’s joke about Patrick Mahomes was cringe as hell Guarantee an apology tweet in the coming days,” one Twitter user wrote.
“@KeeganMKey how you gonna throw shade at @PatrickMahomes like that?!” another user wrote.
“WOW LOL @KeeganMKey just DISSED Mahomes and the Chiefs so BADLY with that joke on Burrows outfit! ‘This outfit is SO mindblowing, Patrick Mahomes saw a picture of it at HALFTIME, and FORGOT how to play football.’ – QUOTE OF THE 2021-22 NFL SEASON LMAO,” another user wrote.
“@KeeganMKey How dare you make fun of Patrick Mahomes. No wonder the Lions suck. Matthew Stafford and Eminem are closest the Lions will get to a superbowl,” another user wrote.
“@KeeganMKey Pretty classless joke at Patrick Mahomes tonight. Then again, what should be expected from an ‘actor’ whose best role was as a supporting cast member to a cat,” another user wrote.
“I see why @JordanPeele doesn’t put Key in none of his movies. @KeeganMKey, that joke you just told about Patrick Mahomes… Um. Let me call @DaBabyDaBaby and see if he busy,” another user wrote.
NFL Honors Award Winners
Here are the awards that were given during the NFL Honors event, along with the person that received the award:
- AP Most Valuable Player: Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
- AP Coach of the Year: Mike Vrabel (Titans)
- AP Offensive Player of the Year: Cooper Kupp (Rams)
- AP Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. Watt (Steelers)
- AP Comeback Player of the Year: Joe Burrow (Bengals)
- AP Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ja’Marr Chase (Bengals)
- AP Defensive Rookie of the Year: Micah Parsons (Cowboys)
- AP Assistant Coach of the Year: Dan Quinn (Cowboys)
- Walter Payton Man of the Year: Andrew Whitworth (Rams)
- Hall of Fame Class of 2022: LeRoy Butler, Bryant Young, Sam Mills, Cliff Branch, Richard Seymour, Art McNally, Tony Boselli, and Dick Vermeil.
- FedEx Air Player of the Year: Tom Brady (Buccaneers)
- FedEx Ground Player of the Year: Jonathan Taylor (Colts)
- Bridgestone Performance Play of the Year: Justin Tucker (Ravens, 66-yard field goal)
