Travis Kelce momentarily broke under the strain of his newfound popularity.
Suddenly, the tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs is one of the most recognizable figures on the planet. However, following a fight with his coach, he contributed to the Super Bowl victory.
When the Kansas City star was seen on tape bodychecking and yelling in Andy Reid’s face on the sidelines, to the point where the 65-year-old was stunned, it was the question that millions of people were asking themselves. As the Chiefs advanced toward the San Francisco 49ers’ goalline in the second quarter of Sunday’s Super Bowl, Kelce appeared to be angry by Reid’s decision to remove him from the game. Running back Isiah Pacheco coughed up the ball just as the Chiefs were about to score, allowing San Francisco to recover and maintain a 3-0 lead.
Responses to Kelce’s tantrum were forceful and quick. Benny Johnson, a conservative commentator, joked on X, pointing out that Kelce had endorsement deals with Pfizer and Anheuser-Busch’s politically charged beer brand. “Hey kids, don’t ever mix your 7th COVID Booster with Bud Light.” “This guy is such a disgrace.”
Philadelphia Eagles receiver AJ Brown tweeted, “If that was me, I would’ve been kicked out of the league,” raising the possibility that racial bias was at play when the officials decided not to dismiss Kelce from the game.
The dominant narrative would have undoubtedly changed if it had been George Pickens of Pittsburgh, CeeDee Lamb of Dallas, or another Black receiver going all out on his coach in that way. However, Kelce has a lot of leeway because of his white privilege and his reputation as the greatest in his field; this makes him enthusiastic but not unduly combative. Tony Romo of CBS quickly played down the incident, reassuringly stating that Kelce simply wanted to return to the game and help his team win. Sure enough, Kelce was back on the field for Kansas City’s subsequent play.
The outburst was forgotten after the Chiefs defeated the Niners 25–22 in overtime. Reid mockingly flagged Kelce for cheap shots after the game. Reid remarked, “He was emotional today.” “I have five children, so I am familiar with that situation. I adore that he enjoys playing the game and is motivated to see his team succeed.
Later in the first half, Kelce hugged Reid on the sidelines as the two made up throughout the game. Regarding his outburst, Kelce would explain after the game, “I was just telling him how much I love him.” However, once the audio from the NFL Films microphone he wore during the game leaks out, he won’t be able to play coy.
It would have been good to hear Kelce publicly express regret to Reid for publicly demeaning him. Rather, Kelce continued talking about their unique bond. He declared, “I have the best coach this game has ever seen.” He’s among the best men I’ve ever seen leading a group of people. I owe that gentleman my entire career and my ability to manage my emotions.
However, it was impossible to shake the feeling that this was more than just Kelce’s ferocious rivalry surfacing. After all, he’s in a whole other league now. He was just a well-known NFL player at this time last year. It’s not hyperbole to suggest that he’s become one of the most well-known guys in the world, at least for the past few weeks. He used to simply have to worry about his professional legacy from Super Bowl games, but now that he is dating Taylor Swift, who traveled half way across the globe to support him, tens of millions more people are watching the game. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell arrived to greet Swift before she could settle into her opulent suite with an entourage that included rapper Ice Spice, actor Blake Lively, and brother of Kelce. Even the (baseless) rumor that Kelce would ask Swift to marry him after the game circulated. That would be enough to break Kelce under such pressure.
