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Kansas City Chiefs running back Samaje Perine clarified a seemingly awkward incident with quarterback Patrick Mahomes that went viral after the team's Super Bowl LIX blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The video, which was posted by the @brickscenter_ Instagram account, showed Mahomes embracing all of his skill players, except for Perine, who the account claimed he "purposely skipped."
"Lol I actually stood up to untie my pants strings, no one blamed anybody. It’s not that deep," Perine commented on the Instagram post.
Several critics had already accused Mahomes of "bad leadership" and "blaming everyone but yourself" for the Super Bowl loss prior to Perine's clarification.
The Eagles intercepted Mahomes twice and forced a fumble, limiting him to just 33 yards passing at halftime. The three-time Super Bowl MVP finished Sunday's game with 257 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions on 21 of 32 passing.
Kansas City fell short of becoming the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls, having won three of the last five prior to Sunday's loss. The Eagles are now two-time Super Bowl champions, their first coming in 2018, and made five appearances, which included a loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII two years ago.