Chiefs News: Travis Kelce makes candid admission to Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid after early season frustrations

Travis Kelce looks happier than in the first weeks of the 2025 NFL season, when his sideline outbursts and exchanges with Andy Reid made headlines. Now, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs‘ offense appear to be in a much better spot.

Speaking with his brother Jason during the latest episode of their “New Heights” podcast, Kelce admitted that the vibe in Kansas City is great now that the different pass catchers on the roster are getting participation.

“Pat’s not thinking as much about the line. He’s seeing the field so clear right now and getting the ball out so quick,” Kelce said of Mahomes. “When we’re rolling like that, and Pat is getting it to everybody right now. Everybody’s getting the chance to get the football in their hands. Everybody is satisfied and this is going to get better now that we got Rashee (Rice) coming back next week. It’s so much fun when everybody’s getting the piece of the pie.”

Kelce’s early frustrations in the 2025 NFL season

Earlier in the season, Kelce was seen visibly frustrated as the Chiefs’ offense failed to get things going. One of his outbursts came in the Week 2 Super Bowl LIX rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles, with Kelce spiking his helmet on the sideline after Mahomes rushed for a touchdown. The tight end was clearly upset with the quarterback having to use his legs as the Chiefs were unable to make progress with their passing game.

Travis Kelce celebrating a touchdown with Patrick Mahomes.

Only a week later, Reid confronted Kelce’s frustration on the sideline, yelling at the tight end during the Week 3 win over the New York Giants. Both downplayed the situation despite curiosity from fans and media, and more than a month later, Kelce appears to be in a much better mood with the state of the Chiefs’ offense.

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Mahomes echoes Kelce’s sentiment

Mahomes and Kelce are on the same page about the current situation, with the Chiefs quarterback also celebrating the way they’ve been moving around the ball after a slow start to the campaign.

“Yeah, no, for sure. I think the guys just know that. They know if they get open, I’m gonna throw them the football. It doesn’t matter who it is. If you’re getting open, you’re gonna get the football in your hands,” Mahomes said Wednesday, crediting not only his teammates but also the different members of Reid‘s coaching staff.

“And so, I think the room is going to help out a ton with that. I mean, they have a lot of guys that truly care about each other and truly want each other to succeed, and it’s a good problem to have, to have that many talented guys in the room. But Coach Reid, Nags (Matt Nagy), they’ll do a great job of calling different plays for different guys, and they’ll keep defenses guessing. They won’t know exactly where the football is going to go.”

Mahomes relying on Kelce and all Chiefs weapons

Kelce may be one of, if not the most prominent pass catcher on the Chiefs’ roster, but Mahomes has been trusting in pretty much all his weapons so far. Eight different players in Kansas City boast 10+ targets this season, with six of them making at least 10 catches, and five of them racking up 100+ yards.

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Kelce trails Marquise “Hollywood” Brown on targets (37 vs 44) and receptions (28 vs 30) but leads the Chiefs in receiving yards (321). The tight end’s two catches for a touchdown are just one shy of Brown and Tyquan Thornton. But beyond his personal stats, Kelce is seeing the bigger picture: that Mahomes isn’t relying on just one player to succeed.