Kelce praises Reid after Chiefs' sideline clash as offense begins to click in 22-9 win over Giants

Travis Kelce praised Chiefs coach Andy Reid on the latest episode of New Heights after a fiery sideline exchange during Sunday night’s game against the New York Giants. Kansas City recovered from a slow start to beat New York 22-9 for its first win of the season. The moment occurred in the first half as Reid and Kelce were seen barking at each other and Reid bumped the tight end before both cooled down.

Kelce then pivoted to the offense’s direction and the performance of Tyquan Thornton, who starred in the game. He indicated Thornton is a smart football player and that smart players are going to thrive in Reid’s scheme because the coach will put them in positions where they can win one-on-one matchups. The Chiefs’ attack started to click as the game wore on. In the matchup, Patrick Mahomes threw for 224 yards and a touchdown, and Kelce posted four catches for 26 yards, leaving him with 134 receiving yards on the season through three games.

Reid downplayed the moment, telling NBC that the exchange added some juice to the game: "That’s okay, we need some juice... so that’s good!" The friction was not unique to this game; Kelce and Reid had a history of on-field clashes, including a noted confrontation after Super Bowl LVII in Las Vegas. Yet the coach’s postgame demeanor suggested the exchange did not derail his team, which earned its first win of the season.

Looking ahead, Kansas City faces a high-profile test in Baltimore on Sunday, with the Chiefs seeking to build momentum against the Ravens in a matchup that figures to be a marquee tilt as they push to stabilize their offense and defense after a rocky start to the year.