National Football League

Jason Kelce calls out apologetic Travis Kelce for Andy Reid bump in Super Bowl

Published Feb. 14, 2024 11:45 a.m. ET

Travis Kelce is feeling a bit more apologetic about his sideline confrontation with Andy Reid during the Kansas City Chiefs' win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIIl.

In the most recent episode of his "New Heights" podcast, Travis Kelce began to state why he understood people were upset with him bumping and yelling at his coach during the second quarter of Sunday's game before his brother called him out.

"You crossed the line," Jason Kelce said. "I think we can both agree on that."

The Chiefs tight end nodded and agreed with his brother.

"I can't get that fired up to the point where I'm bumping coach and it's getting him off balance and stuff," Kelce said. "When he stumbled I was like, ‘Oh s---' in my head."

But Kelce's brother believed that he stepped over the line before he even bumped Reid.

"Let's be honest, the yelling in his face, too, is over the top," the elder Kelce brother said. "I think there are better ways to handle this, retrospectively."

Kelce initially showed some remorse following Sunday's game over his interaction with Reid, which came as he was on the sideline during Isiah Pacheco's fumble in the red zone as the Chiefs were trailing 3-0. He also joked about it, though.

What to make of Reid and Kelce spat on the sidelines?

Reid also brushed aside the incident, telling multiple outlets and reporters that Kelce "caught me off-balance" with his bump. He also told ESPN that Kelce apologized to him shortly after the confrontation.

But Kelce showed his appreciation and gratitude for Reid during his podcast.

"I'm a passionate guy," Kelce said. "I love Coach Reid, and Coach Reid knows how much I love to play for him and how much I love to be a product of his coaching career — I'm not playing for anybody else but Big Red. If he calls it quits this year, I'm out there with him, man.

"I've got a certain relationship with him — 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 on me, I've got him. It came in a moment where we weren't playing very well, I wasn't playing very well and we had to get some s--- going. Sometimes, those emotions get away from me. That's been the battle of my career."

But Kelce also said he isn't going to let how other people felt about the situation dictate his response.

"I don't give a s--- what anybody else says," Kelce said. "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 since I got here in 2013. I just love playing for the guy. Unfortunately, sometimes my passion comes out where it looks like it's negativity, but I'm grateful that he knows that it's all because I want to win this thing with him, more than anything."

Adding context to Travis Kelce’s blow up at Andy Reid

Kelce's brother defended him as well after the callout.

"It was accidental that you hit him that hard," Jason Kelce said. "You came off hot because you were pissed off. It doesn't look great, obviously. The optics of it look really bad. But nobody knows you and Big Red's relationship. He's obviously made light of it already.

"I just love when people who don't have anything to do with the f---ing situation get all riled up, like they're offended. Not the guy who was actually involved in it, but the people who don't know what you two's relationship are or how this went down."

While the Chiefs came back, that moment didn't serve as the turning point for Kansas City. The Chiefs scored 19 second-half points after trailing 10-3 at halftime with Kelce recording five receptions for 67 yards in the fourth quarter and overtime, including a seven-yard reception on the penultimate play of the game that set them up for the game-winning touchdown.

As the Chiefs got the ball second in overtime, Kelce said that his team celebrated when the 49ers opted to take the ball first in overtime, saying "you win the coin toss, you get the opportunity to get the advantage — and they handed it right over to us."

"I'm not trying to harp on the guy, but it was a huge [decision]," Kelce added. "When they said, ‘We want to receive,' and the ref looked at Fred [Warner] and said ‘Are you sure?' And he said, ‘Yeah, I wanna receive. I want the ball.' I jumped out of my seat and was like, ‘Hey, here we go. Let's go boys. They want to receive. We get second possession and know exactly what we want. Defense, just hold them to three. We're going to go down and win this thing, baby.'"