Texans' Kris Boyd Apologized to STs Coach Ross for Shove After Penalty vs. Chiefs

Tensions rose on the Houston Texans' sideline during the team's Divisional playoff clash with the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday.

Texans cornerback Kris Boyd was seen shoving special teams coach Frank Ross after he was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for taking his helmet off while on the field.

After the game, Boyd explained the altercation and told reporters that he apologized to Ross for his actions.

"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."

He added: "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 opened the game with a 63-yard kickoff return, setting them up to take an early 3-0 lead over Houston. They went on to win 23-14 to reach the AFC Championship Game for the seventh straight season.

The incident wasn't enough to get Boyd benched, as he was back on the field for the next kickoff.

The 28-year-old has experienced issues with penalties throughout the regular season, as he was flagged on six separate occasions (via Pro Football Reference). This included an unnecessary roughness penalty against the Tennessee Titans in Week 18 that later resulted in a $9,526 fine, per Spotrac.

Boyd signed a one-year, $1.7 million contract with the Texans for the 2024 season.

The former seventh-round pick started his career as a member of the Minnesota Vikings from 2019-22, joining the Arizona Cardinals ahead of the 2023 season before he was cut by the team and signed with Houston to close out the year.

Boyd has primarily been utilized on special teams, recording eight tackles and one fumble recovery across 17 appearances during his 2024 campaign. He received a larger defensive role in Week 18 but struggled, allowing three catches and receiving a mere 30.4 grade from Pro Football Focus.

It isn't difficult to imagine Boyd's outburst on the sidelines potentially affecting his future in Houston, as he's set to become a free agent at the end of the year.

He was back on the field as Houston attempted to make its first trip to the AFC Championship Game, though.