Travis Kelce Had Very Classy Reason for Opting to Sit Out Chiefs’ Finale vs. Chargers

The Kansas City Chiefs’ star tight end revealed the reasoning for his decision not to play Sunday at the Los Angeles Chargers.

Travis Kelce had a great chance of making more NFL history in Sunday’s Kansas City Chiefs-Los Angeles Chargers game at SoFi Stadium, but he instead opted to sit out and watch his teammates from the sideline. 

After the game, we found out why–according to Chiefs coach Andy Reid, Kelce decided not to play because he thought going after a personal milestone would be selfish.

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Kelce needed just 16 receiving yards to extend his NFL-record streak of 1,000-yard seasons by a tight end to eight straight years. 

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce waves to fans before Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium / Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Kelce felt he would be better off getting some rest for the postseason and “didn’t like the way it felt” to possibly play in the game just to get to 1,000 yards. Plus, the Chiefs already had the AFC’s No. 3 seed locked up.

Andy Reid on Chris Jones playing & Travis Kelce not playing. He said that it was Travis' decision & he didn't want to come off as selfish & didn't like the way it felt. Andy also said that Chris playing was different because there was a financial component. #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/tHsNAveow9

— Starcade Media (@StarcadeMediaKC) January 8, 2024

Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones had a very good reason for playing, as his sack in the third quarter allowed him to pick up a $1.25 million bonus, which his teammates rightfully loved seeing him get. Jones came out of the game after getting the sack. Kelce didn’t have any contract incentives to play for. 

The Chiefs will host the Miami Dolphins on Saturday night, a game that will air exclusively on NBC’s Peacock streaming service.