
On Saturday, December 13, the NFL announced their punishment decision onĀ Travis KelceĀ of theĀ Kansas City ChiefsĀ for something Kelce did after the teamāsĀ 20-10 lossĀ to theĀ Houston TexansĀ on Sunday, December 7.
As for what Kelce did that would warrant a punishment, following the loss to the Texans, the tight end declined interview requests,Ā according to a report from Jesse Newell of The Athletic. Thatās a violation of the NFLās rules.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, āAll players (except those in the concussion protocol) are required by the NFL to speak to reporters after every game.ā Plus, Florio says itās happened before. āItās not the first time Kelce has declined to talk this year, either after a game or during the week,ā he noted, adding that āall players must be available once during the days preceding each game, at a podium or in the locker room.ā
So, turning down interviews after multiple games would put Kelce in the hot seat with the NFL even more, because it wasnāt a one-time violation. Now, the NFL has made its decision on what theyāre doing about Kelceās actions.
NFL Announces Kansas City Chiefs and Travis Kelce Decision
Itās Kelceās lucky day, because on Saturday, December 13, theĀ NFL handed out a handful of punishmentsĀ for players who broke the rules in Week 14, and Kelce wasnāt on the tally. So, the soon-to-be-husband of Taylor Swift got off clean.
No Kansas City Chiefs players were punished for incidents against the Texans, and Houston also didnāt get any discipline from the league. So, call it a clean game.
While Kelce didnāt talk to the media after the loss, the 36-year-old did open up about his frustration over the defeat on his āNew Heightsā podcast with his brother, Jason.
Travis Kelce Discusses Kansas City Chiefsā Loss to Houston Texans
āYou put in all this ⦠work and hope that it pays off,āĀ he said on the podcast. āAnd right now, itās just for whatever ⦠reason, man, itās little things. I feel like Iāve always had the answers in years past. And this year, I just canāt find them.ā
He added, āI keep thinking if I show up to work and I put in the work and I fix the issues through my practice habits and through perfecting the game plan and my fundamentals and what Iām being taught, and go out there and try and play ⦠for my guys next to me, itās all going to come together like it has in years past. And this year it is just not, man.ā
So, itās been a difficult year forĀ Patrick MahomesĀ and the Chiefs. Kansas City has aĀ 6-7 recordĀ going into their Sunday, December 14, game against theĀ 9-4 Chargers, and theyāre underdogs.
But, if the Chiefs do win, they keep their playoff hope alive.
Ahead of theĀ ChargersĀ game,Ā according to NFL research, the team has a 13% chance of making the postseason, and if they come out with a victory, that increases to 19%. But, if they fall to the Chargers, their probability of winning drops to less than one percent, and theyāll be out for good.
