Over the past two seasons, Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce’s life on and off the field has been documented in detail, and with that in mind, his unexpected lack of pass catching during the first two weeks of the season became a major topic of conversation among many NFL fan bases.
But head coach Andy Reid is taking it easy.
“(Other teams) have tried some things there,” Reid told reporters Monday. “He’s going to make his catches. It’s not like he’s slowing down or anything; that’s not the point.”
For opposing defenses, the problem remains the same: The connection between Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the one thing they can’t ignore.
“It’s just that teams focus on him – and know he’s Pat’s go-to guy,” he explained. “But that’s allowed us to use the other guys around them – and they’ve been productive.”
Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy has also noticed how opponents keep his tight end in check, but does not believe the 12th-year veteran will remain under-challenged for long.
“Travis has been really good,” Nagy told reporters Thursday. “I know: You look at the goals. You look at the numbers. You look at all that stuff with Travis.”
Nevertheless, Nagy said, there have been “zero changes” at tight end.
“He knows who he is,” he added. “We know who he is. When you have that, it’s important to know that – and it’s only a matter of time.”
But the man himself has higher expectations.
“I took that on myself,” he said on the latest episode of his podcast “New Heights” about his first two games of 2024. “I didn’t play my best – and that spreads if you don’t get it right. I have to get this thing right.”
But Kelce knows he has to be careful not to get too angry with himself – especially when he’s expressing his frustration. He wants to do better at that, too.
“I’m not going to sit here and be upset about it,” the nine-time Pro Bowler said. “I just enjoy playing the game at such a high level that it’s hard for me to tolerate mediocrity – or have statistics that reflect that.”
“In the future, it’s just a question of, ‘How can I be better in these moments? What’s the problem? Am I not getting to my routes fast enough?’ Or whatever the situation may be.”
