NFL News: Travis Kelce issues important wake-up call to Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs teammates

The Kansas City Chiefs are off to a 2-0 start to the 2024 NFL season, but the early wins are not stopping Travis Kelce from looking at the bigger picture. According to the tight end, Patrick Mahomes and company have plenty of work to do.

On the latest episode of his “New Heights” podcast with his brother Jason, Travis stressed that the Chiefs need to stop putting themselves in situations where the officials’ decisions can influence the outcome of a game.

“At the end of the day, man, you can’t put it in the refs’ hands that late in the game,” Kelce said, as quoted by Sports Illustrated. “And that’s for both of us, both sides of the ball. Obviously, you want to play physical [and] you want to make sure you make that play but if you’re going to put it in the refs’ hands, you’re playing with fire. It is what it is. You’re just playing with fire, man. That’s why as an offense, we’ve got to make sure we don’t put ourselves in a position where we have to score at the end of the game.“

Travis Kelce says Mahomes, Chiefs should avoid leaving games in refs’ hands

Kelce’s comments came after the controversial play that led to Harrison Butker’s game-winning field goal for the Chiefs against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. In a fourth-and-16 situation with less than a minute left on the clock, Mahomes threw an incomplete pass to wide receiver Rashee Rice.

Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates with fans after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Chiefs, however, were saved by a penalty that allowed them to keep possession. And while the defensive pass interference called on Bengals safety Daijahn Anthony proved crucial for Kansas City, it also sparked strong criticism from the rest of the NFL. That’s why Kelce is calling on his teammates to take care of business before the refs can affect the result.

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“Obviously, we still feel comfortable and confident that we can get it done but if we can win the game before that, let’s keep it out of the refs’ hands,” Kelce said. “Let’s keep it out of the hands of fate or things just not going our way. I think that’s the mentality you’ve got to have. Did we get lucky? Yeah, we got fortunate that they threw the flag on that fourth-and-16. I would love to make sure we don’t get ourselves in a situation like that again.”

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Mahomes sends encouraging message to Kelce

Kelce is not enjoying a great start to the season, with only four catches for 39 yards through the first two weeks. His quarterback, however, believes it’s only a matter of time before the tight end rediscovers his best version. In fact, Mahomes addressed Kelce’s early struggles with an encouraging message for his star teammate.

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“Obviously, we’ve played two opponents that we’ve played a lot, so they have a plan on how they’re going to account for Travis,” Mahomes said. “As the season goes on, he’s going to get his catches, he’s going to get his yards. The leader that he is – what’s special is he’s hyping everybody up, he’s keeping everybody motivated, and that’s what you need out of your great players.”