Travis Kelce Apology Calls Grow After Andy Reid Drama

Travis Kelce is facing mounting pressure to issue a public apology to Andy Reid, after he was seen yelling at the Kansas City Chiefs head coach during Sunday's Super Bowl LVIII.

Chiefs tight end Kelce, 34, was caught on camera shouting at the 65-year-old coach on the sidelines after a rough start to the game against the San Francisco 49ers. The NFL star is believed to have been upset over not being included in a crucial red-zone play in the second quarter.

Instead, tight end Noah Gray took to the field. Chiefs' running back Isiah Pacheco fumbled the ball, with Gray unable to block 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir. Kelce grabbed Reid by the arm and appeared to scream in his face before Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon pulled the tight end away.

After the Chiefs' victory, Kelce declined to discuss his conversation with Reid when he spoke with ESPN. However, there appears to be no animosity between the two.

"I'm going to keep that between us unless my miked-up tells the world, but I was just telling him how much I love him," Kelce joked, ahead of celebrating his team's win with pop star girlfriend Taylor Swift.

Speaking to the press after the game, Reid also made light of Kelce's "cheap shot" at him, saying the player caught him off guard when he wasn't looking.

According to Reid, Kelce was telling him: "Just put me in, I'll score, I'll score."

"I love that," the coach told reporters. "It's not the first time, so I appreciate it."

At the time of the incident, Kelce's behavior left many viewers unimpressed. And it appears that many still want to see Kelce publicly issue an apology to Reid.

Newsweek has contacted a representative of the Chiefs via email for comment.

Former Fox News host Geraldo Rivera led the charge of those calling on Kelce to apologize, writing on X, formerly Twitter: "Huge fan of Travis Kelce, one of the greatest tight ends ever. His gritty play and epic love story made history. Didn't like him screaming at coach Andy Reid, though. It was disrespectful, even hysterical. Good people have bad moments. Still, he should apologize publicly."

"I need for Travis Kelce to apologize for his behavior on the sideline," another football fan commented on the micro-blogging platform. "That's still not OK."

"Let's not whitewash Travis Kelce losing his temper and nearly knocking his coach over on the sidelines," said another. "That behavior was not graceful or respectful. He should be reprimanded and made to apologize at the very least."

"Travis Kelce was a total disgrace at Super Bowl," stated another. "Think about all the kids that watched him attack his coach. He should apologize and make a statement letting youth players know how much of an a****** he was. No excuse!"

Referencing Kelce's post-win celebration, another weighed in: "The 1st thing Travis Kelce SHOULD HAVE done instead of singing 'Viva Las Vegas' (really bad btw) is apologize to his HC Andy Reid for manhandling him on the sidelines during the Super Bowl."

Commenting on the Instagram account of New Heights, the podcast hosted by Kelce and his brother, Jason Kelce, one fan said: "I really hope Travis addresses his behavior towards coach early in the game. It left a really bitter taste in my mouth seeing him treat a man he respects like that. Nearly took him out."

However, many other social media users felt that it was the public reaction to the moment, rather than Travis Kelce's, that was truly disproportionate.

"Complete and utter tempest in a teapot," read one post on X. "This happens way more than we know. I'm sure this was managed amicably to all parties' satisfaction at half time in about 15 seconds.

"I feel like it's being talked about too much," wrote an X user. "He's a grown professional athlete who has played for his coach for over a decade, their relationship is something fans probably won't ever understand. Not a good look for young athletes yes, but this is different. Just my opinion."

Another X user insisted that "we don't" need to see Travis Kelce publicly apologize, adding that Reid is "HIS coach and Big Red can chastise accordingly, he knows him. Andy doesn't need protection from us (even tho we think so) and him and Travis are fine now that it's a win I'm sure."

"Wow these comments are vicious," said an Instagram user of the criticism. "He likely has already apologized to his coach, he is probably painfully aware that what he did wasn't OK and was watched by the whole world, and he may publicly make a statement.

"Y'all need to allow him to celebrate a MASSIVE accomplishment with his team and family. Not saying it wasn't a mistake, but how would you feel if someone put your mistakes on a billboard and said you didn't deserve to celebrate your accomplishments?"

Sunday's title game was the most-watched event in television history, reaching almost 124 million viewers and averaging 120 million on CBS.

This isn't the first time that Kelce has been called out for his behavior during games. He was slammed for spiking his helmet on the sidelines in December during the Chiefs' clash with the Las Vegas Raiders, with former Chiefs' wide receiver Dante Hall calling the athlete "spoiled."