Earlier this week, Chiefs coach Andy Reid suspended standout cornerbackMarcus Peters for one game after the defender's outburst late in a loss to the New York Jets.
It involved a flag tossed by Peters into the stands, the disappearance of Peters (by misconception that he'd been ejected), and later, his socks. According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, it also included a spat with a coach.
Garafolo reported on Good Morning Football Weekend that Peters and a coach got into an argument on the way to the airport after the game against the Jets, which was listed as one of the reasons for his team-imposed suspension without pay. Peters was also fined $24,309 by the league for unsportsmanlike conduct, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Friday, per a league spokesman.
Reid had alluded to an additional reason for the suspension earlier in the week, but refused to get into the details of it. We now know why.
NFL Network's Michael Robinson spoke with Peters during the week and discussed the defender's suspension.
"I spoke to him this week, very much apologetic," Robinson said during Saturday's show. "He hates the way this thing came out. ... I think the loss of Eric Berry has done some damage to Marcus Peters on a personal note, just not being able to have that guy like an Ike Taylor in that locker room to be able to lean on when you're going through something."
Kansas City has definitely been going through some things in the last month and a half. Losers of four straight and six of their last seven, the Chiefs have all but completely derailed after a 5-0 start. Their once-explosive offense had been reduced to a shell of itself before last week's loss, in which roles reversed and Kansas City's defense was unable to hold up its end of the bargain.
As one of the unit's most important and notable players, Peters likely feels the mounting pressure that comes with such struggles. Perhaps it boiled over in Week 13, resulting in the flag toss, abandonment of socks and postgame altercation. With a week off to watch his teammates battle bitter rival Oakland in an incredibly important AFC West matchup, Peters will have time to regain perspective as his team enters the final quarter of the regular season.
