Travis Kelce says Super Bowl outburst and bump of Andy Reid was ‘definitely unacceptable’
Travis Kelce knows he behaved severely during Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, Fiifi Frimpong reports for The News Tribune.
The Chiefs’ tight end, talking on his “New Heights” podcast alongside his brother Jason Kelce, admitted that the sideline bump of his head coach Andy Reid was “definitely unacceptable.
“I can’t get that fired up to the point where bumping Coach [Reid] and it’s getting him off balance and stuff,” Travis said. “When he stumbled, I was like: ‘Aw, s—‘ in my head.”
The sideline incident went viral and garnered plenty of attention after the game. Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady downplayed the significance of the bump.
“I don’t mind seeing it because I was a part of many of those things,” Brady said on this week’s episode of SiriusXM’s “Let’s Go!” show.
“Emotions are so high. You are not centered and balanced. You’re not in a meditative state at that point. You are fully determined to go out there and to win. I think a lot of the things said during the games, people should just let them fly off their back.”
But on Wednesday, Jason Kelce said his younger brother “crossed the line” and yelling in Reid’s face was “too over the top.” Travis continued to take responsibility for his actions and called the bump a “cheap shot.” Travis added he anticipated the coach to have harsh words for him after the moment, but Reid acknowledged the tight end without any unpleasantness.
“I deserve it,” he said. “If he would have cold-cocked me in the face right there, I would have just eaten it. I would have been like: ‘Let’s f—— go.’ ”
Travis ended Super Bowl LVIII with nine catches for 93 yards. The incident occurred in the first half, where the tight end had only one catch for one yard. Following Patrick Mahomes’ game-winning touchdown to Mecole Hardman, Travis celebrated the win with pop superstar Taylor Swift on the field.
The victory secured Travis’ third Super Bowl trophy – all under the helm of Reid. The tight end explained that he loved playing for Reid. The duo are expected to return next season in hopes of a three-peat.
“He’s checked me a few times, and I just wanted to let him know that I wanted this thing and that he can put it on me, and I got him,” he explained. “It just came when we weren’t playing very well. I wasn’t playing well, and we had to get some s— going.
“Sometimes, those emotions get away from me, man. That’s been the battle of my career, but, everybody else, I don’t give a sh-t what anybody else says. I talked to Coach Reid about it today, and we kind of chuckled about it. I couldn’t be more proud of being his product on the field, and I couldn’t be more proud of where we’ve come as a team since I got here in 2013.
“I just love playing for the guy, man. And unfortunately, sometimes, my passion comes out where it looks like it’s negativity, but I’m grateful he knows it’s all because I want to win this thing with him more than anything.”