Why Chiefs’ Travis Kelce didn’t play vs. Chargers — just 16 yards short of milestone
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce entered Sunday’s regular-season finale just 16 receiving yards away from an eighth straight 1,000-yard season.
So why did he decide not to play in KC’s 13-12 road victory over the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium?
“All the players wanted him to play, but he just goes, ‘You know what? I don’t like the way it feels,’” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after the game. “He’s not into that. And so he chose not to play.”
Kelce’s decision certainly could be seen as a wise one. The Chiefs had locked up the AFC’s No. 3 seed before Sunday’s contest, meaning there was no team-based reason for him to be out there. Other star teammates —including quarterback Patrick Mahomes, running back Isiah Pacheco and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed — also did not play against the Chargers.
There also could be a rest element to this. Kelce suffered a knee injury earlier this season, and he’s been listed on the injury report for the last few weeks with a neck ailment.
Kelce’s seven straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons are an NFL record for a tight end. Greg Olsen has the second-best mark, posting three straight 1,000-yard totals from 2014-16.
After the game, Reid called Kelce a “humble, humble guy” and said he “didn’t want to be selfish or come across as selfish” while potentially pursuing an individual record Sunday.
“I completely understand it,” Reid said. “That’s him.”
The Chiefs listed Kelce as out (coach’s decision) about two hours before Sunday’s game. Earlier in the week, Reid was noncommittal about whether Kelce would play.
When asked afterward whether he would’ve allowed Kelce to go for 16 receiving yards Sunday, Reid said, “Yeah. You bet.”
Kelce was out of the Chiefs’ locker room before reporters were let in Sunday afternoon. His streak of 1,000-yard seasons started during his fourth professional year in 2016, when he had 85 catches for 1,125 yards.
In 15 games, Kelce ended this regular season with 93 receptions for 984 yards.
“Most guys would have gone out and probably done it,” Reid said of Kelce going for the personal mark Sunday. “But he said, ‘I’ve got a lot of records. This one here, I’m not going to do it this way.’”
