Travis Kelce Penalized $14K for Inappropriate Gestures at Chiefs Game
Travis Kelce has received a hefty fine after the NFL concluded that the tight end made “obscene gestures” during the Kansas City Chiefs’ inaugural home game.
In the game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, September 14, Kelce, 35, celebrated a 23-yard run by mimicking juggling his own testicles as a taunt directed at the opposing team.
Although the incident initially escaped the notice of the referees, it was captured on camera and widely circulated online. As reported by NBC News on Saturday, September 20, league officials took notice and fined Kelce $14,491.
The start of the NFL season has been challenging for Kelce. During the same game, he was overheard telling his teammates, “I’m sick of this s***” right before a Fox broadcast break. The Chiefs ultimately fell to the Eagles with a score of 20-17, marking the franchise’s worst start since 2014 at 0-2.
Part of the loss was linked to an error Kelce made in the fourth quarter, where he mishandled a pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes, allowing Eagles player Andrew Mukuba to intercept the ball. This mistake led to a touchdown for the Eagles, pushing the score to 20-10 in their favor.
This game prompted Shannon Sharpe to criticize Kelce on his “Nightcap” podcast later that same day.
“Kelce has been lazy,” Sharpe, 57, stated. “He’s becoming lazy with his head and his eyes. He understands that in that area of the field, he needs to snap his head around. I don’t know why he’s being so lazy.”
Sharpe, a former tight end for the Chiefs, elaborated: “There’s no one inside, and [Reed Blankenship] is covering you tightly. Why are you being so lazy? You know you have to snap your head around. You cost the team points, and then they go down and score.”
The retired player also mentioned that Mahomes, 30, requires more talent surrounding him on the field. “Right now, there’s nothing special about anyone on that offense besides Patrick Mahomes,” Sharpe asserted.
Kelce himself has recognized the difficulties he’s faced this season.
“I know this might sound like a broken record from last year’s Super Bowl, but it falls on us as leaders,” he stated on the September 10 episode of his “New Heights” podcast following the Chiefs’ first loss. “I’ll take full accountability. I wasn’t prepared for that first drive.”
