Rob Gronkowski criticizes Chiefs after Week 1 loss, points to locker-room friction and diminished Travis Kelce role

Former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski delivered a stark assessment of the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, saying the reigning AFC champions will "fold" when opponents come at them after a disjointed Week 1 performance in Brazil.

The Chiefs lost 27-21 to the Los Angeles Chargers in the season opener as Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City's offense struggled to sustain drives. Gronkowski made his comments on the podcast "Up & Adams," arguing that teams learned from last season's Super Bowl how to throw the Chiefs off their game and that Kansas City has not shown an ability to respond.

"The Philadelphia Eagles opened the floodgates last year in the Super Bowl versus the Kansas City Chiefs... the Philadelphia Eagles punched them in the face," Gronkowski said. "Well, going into this year now, the Los Angeles Chargers punched them in the face. The Chiefs were like, 'Whoa, they're coming at us, how do we react?' ... they're going to fold and they're not going to be the team you've been seeing all last year."

Television cameras during the game captured a heated exchange between defensive lineman Chris Jones and linebacker Drue Tranquill late in the contest. Teammate Nick Bolton stepped between the two players as Tranquill appeared to shout, "I'm trying to win bro, and we lose every contain." Tranquill later told The Athletic that "emotions are just high," downplaying the incident.

Gronkowski said the public bickering was an additional concern and a sign of a team not handling adversity well. "When things aren't going their way, they start yelling at each other, their blame game starts going on," he said. "You want to come together when you're down ... so to see them starting to point fingers is not a good sign."

The former tight end also questioned how the Chiefs will deploy veteran tight end Travis Kelce this season. Kelce, 36, caught two passes for 47 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 but was limited by the Chargers' defense and sustained a collision that left teammate Xavier Worthy injured on a route. Kelce had publicly hinted at possible retirement during the offseason.

"Travis Kelce is going to be used in situational football," Gronkowski said. "I don't think that you can depend on him, first, second, third down, and every single play but in situational football, he can come through for them."

Kansas City coach Andy Reid and several players acknowledged the loss and pointed to the need for corrections after the game. Mahomes was held without consistent offensive rhythm against a Chargers unit that forced turnovers and converted key plays. The defense, which entered the season with high expectations following last year's Super Bowl run, showed flashes but also moments of breakdown that opponents exploited.

The Chiefs will return home for a Super Bowl rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend, a game that will offer an early barometer of whether Kansas City can respond to criticism and correct course. The Eagles defeated the Chiefs in February's title game, and Gronkowski suggested that loss has left a psychological mark on Kansas City's ability to handle teams that play aggressively.

Analysts and fans will be watching whether the Chiefs' leaders can contain internal friction, refine their game plan for Kelce's usage and revive an offense that finished below expectations in Week 1. Kansas City has a short window to adjust before divisional play intensifies, and the rematch with Philadelphia will be the next major test of the defense's resilience and the offense's capacity to regain its late-season form from 2024.