Chiefs HC Andy Reid has the perfect response to TE Travis Kelce's recent load management comments
Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce has been the workhorse of Andy Reid's offense for the last decade. The 2023 NFL season marked the first time in the past eight seasons that Kelce's receiving yardage dipped below 1,000 yards during the regular season. It was also the first time that he dipped below 80% of the […]
Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce has been the workhorse of Andy Reid's offense for the last decade.
The 2023 NFL season marked the first time in the past eight seasons that Kelce's receiving yardage dipped below 1,000 yards during the regular season. It was also the first time that he dipped below 80% of the offensive snaps in Kansas City since the 2014 NFL season.
As Kelce enters his age-35 NFL season, there has been an expectation that the team could look to manage his snaps to help extend his production and playing career. The future Hall of Famer certainly isn't asking for a reduced workload, though. He still wants to be the guy to carry the load for the Chiefs Kingdom.
"Wear and tear me, baby," Kelce said. "I'm ready for it. Put the load on me. I love being accountable for the men and women in this building and Chiefs Kingdom. I love the aspect of everybody counting on me to try and make that play for the team and just do the right things out there on the field [out of] better judgment for the team. I don't think anything from last year put more miles on me [or] made me less of a player. I think all in all, it was focus, being my worst critic, and capitalizing in situations I should have."
The youthful energy that he brings to practice might suggest that Kelce is capable of carrying. Yet, he understands that when he's taken off the field, it's for the betterment of himself and the team. He knows that Andy Reid knows what he's doing, and well, his coach isn't so keen on the idea of taking him off the field either.
"I don't know if we're going to back off on his time," Reid said on Thursday. "If he wants to be worn out, we can help him with that."
Of course, situations will certainly dictate some elements of Kelce's snaps for the upcoming season. One reason it might have been lesser in 2023 than in years past is because he missed Week 1 with a knee injury. Assuming a healthy training camp and preseason for Kelce, his workload could be looking a lot more like it did in seasons past, especially in the early portion of the season as rookie TE Jared Wiley gets acclimated
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce keeps it real about how far along Jared Wiley is compared to his own rookie season
Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce thinks rookie TE Jared Wiley is further along than he was a rookie back in 2013.
