Travis Kelce (Imagn Images)
Kansas City surrendered an 11-point fourth-quarter lead, allowing Denver to take control of a game that once looked within reach.
Kelce approached reporters near his locker but asked for a moment before speaking, according to The Athletic’s Jesse Newell. “Give me one second, guys,” Kelce said, before briefly walking away. The Chiefs had plenty of reasons to feel frustrated after letting a promising position slip away at Mile High Stadium. Patrick Mahomes and his teammates appeared to have one final chance to steal the victory. Kelce even played a role as a decoy on the final play, helping create an opportunity for Rashee Rice in the end zone. However, a controversial false start penalty against Jaylon Moore wiped out the potential game-winning touchdown.
Kansas City’s 28-24 loss to the Denver Broncos marked its second straight defeat, leaving the team with more questions than answers. For a 37-year-old Kelce, who has spent 14 NFL seasons with the franchise, the result appeared to hit particularly hard. The Chiefs committed 11 penalties for 105 yards against Denver.
“You’ve got to find the positives out of this,” he said. Travis Kelce had little interest in hiding his disappointment after the Kansas City Chiefs suffered another painful defeat. But it was what happened before he addressed reporters that caught attention. The veteran tight end briefly stepped away from the media, only to return with red eyes and a visibly emotional expression. Kelce also acknowledged his own mistakes, having picked up penalties in each of the team’s previous three games. Despite the disappointment, Kelce was not ready to write off the Chiefs’ campaign. The two consecutive defeats have put extra pressure on the team, but the veteran still found something positive in the performance. “You can’t dwell on it. They’re a pretty good football team… We showed some fight, a lot of fight. And I can take that out of this.”