Travis Kelce is Chiefs’ backup long snapper

Chiefs special-teams coach Dave Toub said that if James Winchester couldn’t make long snaps in Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay, the responsibility would belong to tight end Travis Kelce.

In practice this week, Kelce and fullback Anthony Sherman have been standing in for long snapper James Winchester, who is tending to family matters in Oklahoma after the shooting death of his father earlier this week.

“Travis is our backup long snapper,” Toub said. “He would be the first guy we go to. The idea behind using both guys is that it’s so hard to be to a long snapper (for punts) then shift to a short snap (for place kicks).

“I just wanted Kelce to concentrate on long snaps and Sherm is another guy we could use in short snapping situations.”

Toub, in his fourth year heading the Chiefs’ special teams and in the coaching ranks for 30 years, said he was stunned at news he received on Tuesday, that Winchester’s father Michael was fatally shot where he worked at an Oklahoma City airport.

“This was more of a shocker than anything I ever experienced,” Toub said. “We’re a family, we can’t wait for him to get back and support him.”

This story was originally published November 17, 2016 at 2:08 PM with the headline "Travis Kelce is Chiefs’ backup long snapper."