Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid and tight end Travis Kelce had a heated exchange on the sideline during the first half of Sunday night’s 22-9 win over the New York Giants.
As Kelce returned to the Chiefs bench following a series in the first half, broadcast cameras captured the star and his coach arguing. Reid bumped into Kelce during the exchange. The two continued to have a seemingly intense conversation as they walked down the sideline.
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Reid was asked about the frustration of his star players at halftime and told NBC, “That’s OK, we need some juice, so that’s good.”
After leading the winless Giants 9-6 at halftime, the Chiefs opened the second half with a touchdown drive and held off New York, avoiding their first 0-3 start since Reid was hired in 2013. Kelce finished with four catches on seven targets for 26 yards.
Reid was more expansive about the incident after the game, telling reporters not to make too much of the sideline exchange.
“I mean, he’s a passionate guy and I love that part,” Reid said. “I’ve been through a lot of things with him, so that’s all part of it. I love that he loves to play the game, that’s what I love. And it’s an emotional game, so I’ll take it.”
This isn’t the first time Kelce and Reid have made contact on the sideline. Kelce bumped into Reid while yelling during the Chiefs’ eventual Super Bowl LVIII win over the San Francisco 49ers. Reid made light of the incident, joking that Kelce caught him off balance. He was joking again on Sunday night, quipping of Kelce, “Listen, he’s an emotional guy — he’s Irish.”
“I love Travis’s passion, so I’m OK with that,” Reid said. “We didn’t have enough of it that second quarter. It wasn’t where we needed to be. So within reason, you know — he knows. He knows when to back off the pedal and he knows when to push it, too. That’s the part I love about him. I mean, the guy’s all in. Just sometimes I have to be the policeman.”
(Photo: Elsa / Getty Images)
