Travis Kelce addresses explosive tirade at coach Andy Reid during Super Bowl
Star Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce has addressed his first-half Super Bowl tirade at coach Andy Reid, when he appeared to bump into Reid while screaming at him after a crucial turnover.
Kelce, who played an integral part in his team's overtime victory over the 49ers to secure back-to-back titles, was surprised the cameras picked up his outburst, which happened after teammate Isiah Pacheco fumbled the ball while Kelce was on the sidelines.
"You guys saw that?" Kelce said after the match.
"I'm going to keep it between us unless my mic'd up tells the world. I was just telling him how much I loved him."
Reid said Kelce just wanted to be on the field for the play.
"There's nobody I get better than I get him," Reid said.
"He's a competitive kid. He loves to play. He makes me feel young. But my balance is terrible."
This was the second sideline incident involving Kelce and Reid this season. During a game against the Raiders on Christmas Day, an angry Kelce spiked his helmet on the sideline, and when a staff member tried to hand it back to the tight end so he could take the field, Reid grabbed the helmet and refused to give it back.
Kelce, who finished the game with 93 yards from nine receptions, was later pictured partying with superstar partner Taylor Swift at a star-studded event Reid also attended.
Reid has overseen a budding Kansas City dynasty and a rising quarterback in Patrick Mahomes, who is putting himself in the "Greatest Of All Time" conversation with Tom Brady and his seven championships.
The victory over San Francisco made the Chiefs the first team since Brady's Patriots 19 years ago to go back-to-back. They have won three of the past five Super Bowls and played in four of them.
And they did not sound like they were done, either, talking openly about trying to become the first team to three-peat.
Reid, however, cautioned it would not be easy, pointing to new divisional coaching hires, with the Chargers bringing in Jim Harbaugh and the Raiders elevating Antonio Pierce.
"We've got great competition in the AFC West," Reid said.
"These guys are good football coaches. It's not just going to be easy."
No matters what happens, Reid has secured his spot among the greatest coaches ever. His three Super Bowl titles trail only Bill Belichick's six with New England and Chuck Noll's four with the 1970s Steelers.
Reid is even with San Francisco's Bill Walsh and Washington's Joe Gibbs. Walsh was known for his innovative West Coast offence. Gibbs is the only coach to claim three championships with three different starting quarterbacks.
Reid has shown an ability to adapt his offence around his personnel and maximise its potential, but his success will especially be linked to Mahomes. Before Mahomes arrived, Reid was dogged by questions about whether he could win at all.
In 14 years in Philadelphia, he went 224-130 and led the Eagles to one Super Bowl appearance and four consecutive NFC championship games but no ring.
The questions have since gone from whether Reid can win it all to where he sits among the NFL's greatest coaches.
"I believe he's the best coach of all time," Mahomes said.
"I know he didn't have the trophies [before Kansas City] and I have a lot of respect for some of those great coaches. But the way he's able to navigate every single team he has, continue to have success no matter where he's at.
"He brings out the best of me because he lets me be me. I think that's important. He doesn't try to make me anyone else. I don't think I'd be the quarterback that I am if I didn't have Coach Reid being my head coach."
Reid is planning on sticking around as Mahomes's coach for at least one more season, even if at nearly 66, he could head into retirement after yet another Vince Lombardi Trophy and with his legacy secured.
"I haven't even thought about it, but I get asked it," Reid said.
"I'm still kind of in awe of the game [on Sunday] and what went on there
I keep saying, 'Why didn't Belichick and Pete [Carroll] retire?' Ask those old guys that question, but I'm the old guy now."
Reid remains on the job as fellow Super Bowl winners Belichick and Carroll appear as if they will sit out next season with the hopes of eventually latching on somewhere.
Belichick has been considered the gold standard of NFL coaches, but Reid is showing like Mahomes with Brady that he might be quickly catching up.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Reid was one of the coaches he relied on for "perspective from a team standpoint".
"Coach Reid has been a leader on all levels, not just the football field," Goodell said.
"His leadership shows in everything he does
there's no better coach than coach Reid."
