‘I’ve been through a lot of things with him’ — Chiefs HC Andy Reid explains sideline spat with Travis Kelce on Sunday night
Reid and Kelce know what buttons to push with each other.
The Kansas City Chiefs finally got into the win column with their 22-9 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday night.
Despite the victory, the Chiefs’ offense continued in the struggles that we’ve seen from the unit dating back to Super Bowl LIX. Kansas City didn’t get into the endzone until just over six minutes left in the third quarter.
During the first half, the cameras caught coach Andy Reid and his star tight end Travis Kelce getting into a heated exchange on the sidelines. This marks the third time in as many weeks that Kelce has displayed his frustrated emotions over the Chiefs’ offensive issues.
However, this time Reid gave some attitude back to Kelce not only with some choice words, but also delivering him a little shoulder check.
Andy Reid downplays sideline spat with Travis Kelce
While speaking to the media after the game, Reid actually praised Kelce for his passion, which sometimes overflows to lashing out, and leads Reid to step in.
“I love Travis’ passion, man,” Reid said. “I’m okay with that. We didn’t have enough of it in that second quarter. It wasn’t where we needed it to be, within reason. He knows when to when to back off the pedal and knows when to push it. That’s the part I love about him. The guy’s all-in, but sometimes I have to be the policeman.”
Reid didn’t reveal what exactly was said between himself and Kelce, but he reiterated that it was just about getting caught up in the competitiveness of the game.
“He’s an emotional guy, he’s Irish,” Reid joked. “Don’t make too much of it. He’s a passionate guy, and I love that part. I’ve been through a lot of things with him, so that’s all part of it. I love that he loves to play the game. That’s what I love, and it’s an emotional game.”
Kelce has had nothing but praise for Reid during their 13 years together, often calling him a father figure and crediting him for a large portion of his success. Likewise, Reid has consistently expressed his admiration for how much Kelce has matured through the years.
Until wide receivers Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy return, K.C.’s offense is likely to continue to struggle. In the meantime, Reid will continue trying to find ways to make the unit more efficient. As for Kelce, he may not be as explosive as he once was, but is still an excellent route runner and a reliable short-to-intermediate yardage receiving option.