Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is facing backlash following his post-game conduct after the team’s loss to the Tennessee Titans. This comes after the team has already gone through a series of losses and been eliminated from the NFL playoff race.
Travis Kelce’s post-game behaviour prompts backlash
The Chiefs’ frustrating season reached a new low with a loss to the two-win Titans, and Travis Kelce was notably absent from the post-game media scrum. While it was unclear if he actively declined requests, his absence has continued a recent trend of avoiding reporters after losses. This behavior violates the NFL’s media policy, which mandates player availability, and has placed Kelce under a spotlight for a lack of accountability during the team’s struggles.
Chiefs reporter Pete Mundo publicly called out the tight end. “WILL TRAVIS KELCE TALK TO THE MEDIA AFTER THIS LOSS? -200 odds he passes, per usual, after a loss. Hope I’m wrong,” Mundo wrote on X. Other critics argued that a team leader should face the music during difficult times, showing responsibility to fans and the media alike. While some defended Kelce by pointing to his weekly podcast and later-in-the-week media sessions, the criticism for his immediate post-game silence has grown louder.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk previously warned that Kelce could face league discipline if the pattern continues. “Players have been fined in the past, if/when the failure to comply with media obligations becomes chronic, and if the media covering the team complains about it,” Florio wrote. “Sometimes, the media doesn’t make waves” (via PFT).
Additionally, Travis Kelce’s post-game silence comes during a period of intense speculation about his future. He returned for the final year of his contract, reportedly driven by a desire to respond to the Chiefs’ blowout Super Bowl loss. Instead, the season unraveled, with Kansas City eliminated from playoff contention in Week 15 and quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffering a season-ending ACL injury.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
