Travis Kelce
Perry Knotts/Getty ImagesFootball fans and devoted Swifties didn’t see the Super Bowl champion tight end Travis Kelce take the field in the Kansas City Chiefs final game of the regular season.
Ahead of the Chiefs’ Sunday, Jan. 5 game against the Denver Broncos, the team’s official X account posted an inactive list that included Kelce and a host of starters.
“Our inactives for today’s game,” the Chiefs wrote, highlighting Kelce and his teammates at running back. Isiah Pachecocenter back Patrick Mahomescorner back Trent McDuffiedefensive end George Karlaftistreat Taylor’s responseand protective treatment Chris Jones.
Why did the management decide to sit so many starters for the final game of the regular season? The reasoning behind the decision is a good one — the 15-1 team has already secured home-field advantage and a first-round bye in the upcoming NFL playoffs. The Chiefs grabbed the No. 1 seed. 1 in the AFC on Christmas Day 2024, following their 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
UPDATE: 1/7/24, 3pm ET – Travis Kelce will not play in Sunday’s game, the Kansas City Chiefs announced via X two hours before kickoff. “TE Travis Kelce has been ruled out for today’s game against the Chargers (Coach’s decision),” the post read. Original story: Travis Kelce revealed whether or not he plans to play (…)
Travis Kelce
Nick Cammett/Getty ImagesIn other words, it’s not worth risking the starters’ health in a game that, for the Chiefs, won’t change their playoff position.
With Mahomes not starting, backup quarterback Carson Wentz was under center at Denver’s Empower Field at Mile High. While speaking to reporters on Wednesday, January 1, the head coach Andy Reid said he wasn’t “concerned” about cutting rookies.
“I’ve been through it before, so I’m not worried about all that,” Reid explained at the time. “It gives the other guys an opportunity here to step up and you can all use it.”
Travis Kelce’s reason for missing the Kansas City Chiefs game this past weekend is pretty surprising. “It wasn’t really about my health. It wasn’t really about whether I was going to get hurt or not,” Travis, 34, admitted on the Wednesday, Jan. 10, episode of his New Heights podcast (…)
Reid, 66, went on to say that “the main thing is to make sure we stay sharp in all areas during this game and for the next few weeks”.
“We want to stay sharp mentally and physically and then it’s our responsibility to do that and how we manage our time,” he added. “I make sure I do that in practice and the guys go out, the players and the coaches and work on it.”
With the Chiefs’ final game of the regular season being a road game and Kelce not playing, it wasn’t a huge surprise to Swifties and NFL fans that the close girlfriend, Taylor Swiftwas not present.
Rest assured, the pop star will likely attend more than a few of the team’s playoff games, especially since the road to the Super Bowl runs through Kansas City.
