There are some redemption storylines to follow in Super Bowl 54: Kyle Shanahan rebounding from 28-3, Andy Reid winning his first ring … and 49ers pass rusher Dee Ford playing against the Chiefs, the team he was a part of last season when he was whistled for lining up in the neutral zone and negated a game-sealing interception against the Patriots.
Conspiracy theories flew around, fans tweeted at the wrong Ford, angles showed he was indeed offsides, and to Ford’s credit, he bounced back after the Niners traded for him, notching 6.5 sacks.
But the Chiefs’ Frank Clark — who joined Kansas City in 2019 after four years with the Seahawks — hasn’t forgotten. He’s gone out of his way to say he dislikes Ford, both after the AFC championship game win and this week:
Here’s more from comments before the win over the Titans earlier this month via Chiefs Wire:
“Honestly, that’s not something we’re even thinking about,” Clark said. “Like you said, that’s a mental mistake. That’s something on yourself. You shoot yourself in the foot when you do things like that at the end of the day. It’s football. The ball’s right there. It’s simple — if the ball’s there — you put your hand behind the ball and you’re onsides. That’s kind of how I’ve been playing football. That’s why I haven’t lined up offsides all season, probably all my career. If I jump offsides, that happens. That’s called battle wounds. It’s OK to jump offsides from time to time as a defensive end. But lining up offsides, it’s inexcusable.”
Ford took the high road when asked about Clark’s recent comments.
“He’s right. It’s inexcusable, but don’t we all do it? … I have to let it go, in order to move forward.”
Well said.
