Travis Kelce’s Andy Reid apology and Taylor Swift reply speaks volumes – ‘Deserved punch’

Travis Kelce once had to apologise for losing his cool with , which is just one instance of their occasional clashes over the years. Kelce became a Kansas City Chief player in the same year that Reid was officially named head coach, and they’ve enjoyed a remarkable 12-year career together in Missouri.

The tight end was picked in the third round of the 2013 Draft as the 63rd overall pick, but he already knew his boss well. Reid had previously coached Travis’ elder brother Jason at the Philadelphia Eagles, so he knew the quality of player he was getting in the young athlete. Since then, the duo has clinched three , nine division titles, and five conference championships together – and they’re on the cusp of making history in New Orleans.

If they triumph at this year’s Super Bowl, the Chiefs will be the first NFL team to win three Lombardis in a row. Kelce and Reid will have plenty of backing, including from the Chiefs Kingdom and Travis’ superstar girlfriend, Taylor Swift. Here, we have highlighted some of the pair’s key moments, including a Super Bowl row and Swift’s connection with Reid before she ever met Kelce.

Travis Kelce and Andy Reid’s public Super Bowl spat

Kelce and Reid had an infamous public disagreement, which TV cameras captured in slow motion, after the head coach’s decision upset the tight end. The Chiefs were trailing the San Francisco 49ers 10-3 in Super Bowl LVIII when Kelce was taken off the field.

The veteran tight end made a dramatic scene, colliding with Coach Reid while yelling, which left the 65-year-old coach stumbling back in shock. Team-mates swiftly intervened, escorting Kelce from the heated moment and guiding him back to the sidelines.

Despite initial backlash, Kelce and Reid addressed the scrap post-game, demonstrating mutual respect. The Chiefs subsequently clinched a 25-22 overtime victory against the 49ers, securing their fourth Super Bowl title – and back-to-back Lombardi trophies.

Initially, Kelce said he was just sharing the love with his coach, but later admitted on his New Heights podcast with brother Jason that he would have deserved a punch from Reid. The athlete said: “I deserve it. If he would have cold cocked me in the face right there, I would have just ate it. I would have been like: ‘Let’s f****** go’.”

Kelce added: “I can’t get that fired up to the point where [I’m] bumping coach and it’s getting him off balance and stuff. When he stumbled, I was like ‘aw, s***’ in my head.

“I’m a passionate guy. I love coach Reid. He knows how much I love to play for him, how much I love to be a product of his coaching career. I’m not playing for anybody else but Big Red. If he calls it quits this year then I’m out there with him, man.

“I’ve got a certain relationship with him. He’s checked me a few times and I just wanted to let him know I wanted this thing and that he can put it on me and I’ve got him. It came in a moment when we weren’t playing very well. I wasn’t playing very well and we had to get some s*** going and sometimes those emotions get away from me, man. That’s been the battle of my career.

“I don’t give a s*** what anybody else says. I talked to coach Reid about it today and we kind of chuckled about it. I couldn’t be more proud of being his product on the field and I couldn’t be more proud of where we’ve come as a team since I got here in 2013 and I just love playing for the guy, man.

“Unfortunately, sometimes my passion comes out where it looks like it’s negativity but I’m grateful that he knows it’s all because I want to win this thing with him more than anything.”

Reid himself seemed unfazed by Kelce’s display of emotion, attributing it to his competitive spirit, adding: “He was emotional today. I’ve got five kids, and I know how that goes. The part that I love is that he loves to play the game, and he wants to help his team win.”

Taylor Swift’s unusual connection with Andy Reid

Taylor Swift was previously linked to Coach Reid before her involvement with Travis Kelce, an intriguing twist in the star athlete’s personal life.

Reid seems pretty happy with Taylor Swift’s presence, much like Travis Kelce himself. In a KSHB interview in November 2023, Reid praised the couple as he said: “I’m glad he’s found somebody he likes and she’s found somebody she likes. That’s a good thing.”

Interestingly, Reid’s connection to Swift predates her romance with his player. At a September 2023 press conference, the head coach claimed humorously that he played cupid for the pair and reminisced about knowing Swift from his days coaching the Philadelphia Eagles.

On SiriusXM’s Let’s Go! show alongside Tom Brady, Reid shared a humorous anecdote – when Swift mentioned she knew his coach, it seemed Travis Kelce wasn’t pleased. He said: “That was the last thing Trav wanted to hear, that I knew her before him. She told him, ‘I know your coach.’ And he went, ‘oh, God, come on!'”

Reid continued to commend Swift during the same interview, describing her as a “good girl” and expressing that their relationship has not affected Kelce’s performance or focus on the game at all. He added: “Trav’s handled it right, she’s handled it right, and we just move forward. So it hasn’t been a problem at all.”

Kelce is ‘born for coaching’

While Travis eyes a future in broadcasting, akin to NFL legend Tom Brady, Reid envisions a different path for him – potentially steering towards a coaching career post-retirement.

While speaking on New Heights, Kelce expressed his aspirations beyond the field. He said: “I want to be right here and tell them about the game, the old ball coach, ladies and gentlemen. I want to do that. I wanna be the talking head that calls the games.”

However, Reid has a different vision for Kelce’s future. On FOX Sports, the Chiefs boss acknowledged Kelce’s deep connection with the sport and suggested that coaching could be in the cards for him.

He praised Kelce’s expertise and his ability to perform under pressure, as the veteran coach said: “Yeah, I’d probably say yes, to be honest with you, because I’ve been around him for so long. We’ve had him my whole duration here.

“I know where he’s at physically, mentally, I know what he can do in games. We try to utilize him. I also know what’s around him, which helps him because for a while there, we were banged up a little bit and guys were trying to learn.

“He was being double-teamed, and that wasn’t as good for him. But Travis would be a heck of a football coach. He’s able to get up there and explain things and teach these young guys exactly what he sees and feels. Not that they all have that same talent, but he’s got a good feel for the game.”

Kelce’s loyalty to Reid runs deep

Kelce’s dedication to Reid is unwavering, with the player himself declaring that he’s the ‘only coach I’ll ever play for’. Speculation about Travis Kelce’s future with the Kansas City Chiefs has been rife, even after he inked a contract extension through 2024, which could see him at Arrowhead until 2026.

Yet Kelce himself has dismissed any rumours of departure. Earlier in the season, the tight end expressed his loyalty to Reid and his intention to remain with the Chiefs for his entire career.

Kelce said: “Man it’s a cheat code, the Andy Reid cheat code. He’s dialing up his favorite order every single week, man, and it’s a luxury, man. That’s why you’ll only see me playing for Kansas City my entire career, or for Andy Reid, because I know he’s gonna give me the best opportunity to go out there and have success.”

The dynamic duo of Kelce and Reid are set to join forces once again in Super Bowl LIX, aiming to secure a legendary three-peat by defeating the Eagles.