Tempers flared during the Chiefs' Week 3 win over the Giants, as star tight end Travis Kelce and Andy Reid exchanged words before the Chiefs coach bumped into Kelce, an exchange caught by the NBC broadcast. It's not the first time that the two have had words for each other—or even made physical contact with each other—on the sideline, as Kelce infamously did so in Super Bowl LVIII.
But as has been the case with Kelce and Reid in the past, what happened on the field stayed on the field and was all in the heat of battle.
Kelce, speaking to reporters on Friday, downplayed the heated moment.
"I love that guy, man," Kelce told The Kansas City Star. "There’s nothing outside of this building that’s going to make me feel any different way. We know exactly each other’s intentions. I think what Coach Reid does best is he challenges guys to be at their best, and I love that about him. It definitely helped me take my game to another level that game."
Reid was singing a similar tune, even making jokes about Kelce while speaking about the moment after the game.
"Don’t make too much of it," Reid said. "He’s a passionate guy and I love that part. I’ve been through a lot of things with him so that’s all part of it. I love that he loves to play the game. That’s what I love. It’s an emotional game, so I’ll take it.
"I love Travis’s passion, so I’m O.K. with that. We didn’t have enough of it in the second quarter, we weren’t where we needed to be. He knows when to back off the pedal and he knows when to push it too. That’s part of what I love about him. The guy’s all-in. Just sometimes I have to be the policeman.
"He was all-in. He was all-in. Listen, he’s an emotional guy. He’s Irish."
While the Chiefs avoided an 0–3 start with the win over the Giants, the team's offense has been stuck in neutral, possibly the culprit for any frustrations between player and play-caller. But Kelce and Reid have been here before, and they'll probably be here again.
It's par for the course sometimes when two people burn with a competitive desire to win. Kansas City will look to get its offense going in a big-time Week 4 matchup against the Ravens.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Travis Kelce Plays Down Heated Sideline Moment With Andy Reid Before Week 4.
