By ESPN | Created at 2025-01-19 04:45:09 | Updated at 2025-01-19 07:16:55
3 hours ago
DJ Bien-Aime, ESPNJan 18, 2025, 05:09 PM ET
- DJ Bien-Aime covers the Houston Texans for ESPN. He joined ESPN in July of 2022 after covering the New York Jets. He's a former athlete who finished his college career at Louisville. You can catch DJ on ESPN Radio on his show, "Talkin' Texans."
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Houston Texans defensive back Kris Boyd shoved special teams coach Frank Ross following the opening kickoff of Saturday's 23-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional round.
On the play, Chiefs wideout Nikko Remigio returned the kick for 63 yards before Boyd tackled him and forced a fumble. Chiefs running back Samaje Perine recovered the loose ball.
However, before the recovery, Boyd sprinted off in a celebratory fashion and threw off his helmet before reaching the sideline. He drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that had the Chiefs' offense starting on Houston's 13-yard line. Ross approached Boyd on the field, but Boyd shoved Ross.
Coach DeMeco Ryans said he didn't see the shove on Ross but called Boyd's actions "silly."
"What I saw is we can't come out on the first play and throw our helmet," Ryans said after the loss. "That's not what we teach. That's not what we're about at all. ... It just puts the team in a negative light. To start the game, we give them a big return, we take our helmet off to add 15 more yards into the play, which is not smart football."
Boyd's reasoning for his reaction was because he was "too turnt," stirred up in the moment, but regretted his actions.
"I was just too excited, did something that I shouldn't have done. Learning from it," Boyd said. "Keep my helmet on."
Boyd also added that his excited reaction was because he thought he forced a turnover.
"I got the ball out. And as I'm getting up, I look at the screen, I see nothing but white, and they're all pointing [the Texans'] way," Boyd said. "So I was like, oh yeah, we got the ball, too. Turn over, and I was just turnt."
Boyd said he "loves Frank" and apologized to Ross for his tempers flaring because his response is not in his "character."
"I love everybody here. I love my coaches. I never disrespect anybody," Boyd said. "I apologized to everybody. [Ross] told me 'Don't worry about that.'"
The Chiefs ended their opening drive with a field goal and the Texans answered with a field goal. Boyd wasn't benched, and he returned to special teams plays after the shove.
