Travis Kelce had a significant opportunity to create further NFL history during Sunday’s clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. However, he chose to abstain and observe the match from the sidelines. According to Chiefs coach Andy Reid, Kelce made this decision because he deemed pursuing a personal milestone to be self-centered.
Kelce only required 16 receiving yards to extend his unparalleled NFL record of achieving 1,000-yard seasons as a tight end for eight consecutive years. Nevertheless, he prioritized rest for the postseason, expressing discomfort with the idea of playing solely to reach the 1,000-yard mark, especially considering the Chiefs had already secured the AFC’s No. 3 seed.
Andy Reid on Chris Jones playing & Travis Kelce not playing. He said that it was Travis' decision & he didn't want to come off as selfish & didn't like the way it felt. Andy also said that Chris playing was different because there was a financial component. #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/tHsNAveow9
— Starcade Media (@StarcadeMediaKC) January 8, 2024
In contrast, Chiefs defensive tackle, [undefined], had a compelling reason to participate. His sack in the third quarter entitled him to a $1.25 million bonus, a moment celebrated by his teammates. After securing the sack, Jones exited the game. Unlike Jones, Kelce had no contractual incentives motivating his participation.
Looking ahead, the Chiefs are set to host the Miami Dolphins on Saturday night, with the game exclusively airing on NBC’s Peacock streaming service.