An underrated moment in an eventful NFL season opener between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs occurred early in the fourth quarter, as Patrick Mahomes ran to the sideline.
The result of the play was a first down and, later, a vow of revenge.
As Mahomes ran out of bounds on third-and-3 with 11:34 remaining in the game, he was met by Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith. The resulting contact saw Mahomes fall to the ground, but with no penalty for a late hit.
One Chiefs player, tight end Peyton Hendershot, took exception to the contact and shoved Smith from behind, leading to a small skirmish.
Another angle:
The play ended up being a footnote in a 27-20 Chiefs win, which saw the Ravens come within a toe of tying the game and going for a game-winning 2-point conversion as time expired. There was plenty to talk about after the game, and Smith made sure everyone knew he didn’t forget about his run-in with Hendershot:
“Oh, [Mahomes] flopped. Yeah, he flopped. That’s why the referees didn’t call it. It was a great no-call by the ref. But whoever 88 is, I don’t know who he is, but he better watch himself. He did a little slick push. Whoever No. 88 is, I have no idea who he is, but I’ll see him when I see him.”
Hendershot is on the Chiefs’ 53-man roster but was inactive for Thursday’s game. Smith certainly seems to be hoping he’s on the field if these two teams meet again.
The Chiefs acquired Hendershot last week in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys, sending back a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Smith finished the game with a team-high seven tackles, one tackle for loss, one pass defended and the only interception of the game. This isn’t the first time some small but contentious drama has come out of Ravens-Chiefs.