KC Chiefs' Travis Kelce Addresses End of 1,000-Yard Season Streak
The Kansas City Chiefs' Week 18 win over the Los Angeles Chargers allowed numerous star or starter-level players to rest up for the playoffs. Tight end Travis Kelce was one of them, although his absence came at a cost.
By sitting out of the regular season finale, Kelce forfeited the opportunity to extend his 1,000-yard receiving streak. Needing just 16 yards to make it happen, the future Hall of Fame pass-catcher was originally expected to chase the benchmark but instead was inactive on Sunday. Head coach Andy Reid described it as a "humble" effort by the 34-year-old, even if it wasn't what some of his fans and teammates were rooting for.
On this week's New Heights podcast, Kelce spoke with his brother Jason about not suiting up against the Chargers. Saying it's something he just didn't feel like doing, Kelce described his thought process behind the decision.
"I was never into this," Kelce said. "It never felt right to go out there chasing stats. I was kind of in and out of practice all week. For me to just jump in on game day and try to get 15 [or] 16 yards, whatever it was... which is a lot harder than what you guys think it is. Even though I had a hundred and something against the Chargers earlier that year, it's hard to do that twice against a team. They've got a lot of veteran football players that understand the game and understand why the f— I'm in the game. Listen, it more so had nothing to really do with my health, it had nothing to really do with whether or not I was going to get injured. It was more so [that] it just didn't feel right in my gut. It just didn't feel like I should be playing the game that way. If I could get some rest going into next week and stay off the turf in LA and just avoid some hits, man, I was all for that to gear up for the playoffs here."
In a season filled with inconsistent play and multiple injuries, Kelce finished with 93 receptions for 984 yards and five touchdowns. While his production didn't necessarily match a clear All-Pro level as it had in recent campaigns, the 11th-year veteran remained one of the most productive tight ends in the sport. He's a Pro Bowler for the ninth year in a row, which is a reflection of his extended dominance at the position.
Saying it "wasn't an easy decision" to miss the game, Kelce's playing status was in question all week long. On Sunday morning, a report surfaced that the Chiefs were expected to give him an opportunity to play. Despite the growing optimism, it appears to have been a personal decision on Kelce's end to value rest and preparation for the postseason over a record he'd already held in years past. Increasing it by another season simply didn't mean enough to him.
"It wasn't even the record," Kelce said. "I don't give a s— about the record. It was a record that I'd already broken four times already. It's cool to know that but at the same time, I've never sat here and said 'If I don't get 1,000 yards, my season was a failure.' I've always had it in my mind if I lose the Super Bowl, that's a failure. I've always just kind of had it in the back of my mind that that's how I work, and it just didn't feel right to try and go out there for 16 yards. Thought I'd just bring the energy on the sideline, let my guys go out there and rock, and sure enough they did, baby."
The rest likely did Kelce some good. With a Wild Card Weekend outing against the Miami Dolphins on the horizon, Kansas City will need a good version of Kelce in order to win. Should the Chiefs advance deeper into the postseason, their best offensive weapon will be counted on to produce. While the 1,000-yard streak has ended at seven, that still puts Kelce in a type of air only he's able to glide through. He clearly put some thought into the choice, albeit one he's confident in.
