Why Isn’t Travis Kelce Playing In The Chiefs Game Today?
Travis Kelce won’t be playing in the Kansas City Chiefs season finale today. The move is a coach’s decision and it was mostly expected. However, there is a sect of fans who are not happy about the move. While some joke it is because Taylor Swift isn’t there, the reason is a lot more about common sense.
Here is what Travis won’t be playing in the Chief’s regular-season finale.
Travis Kelce held out of Kansas City Chiefs finale
Coming into the Kansas City Chiefs season finale, there was nothing left for the team to gain in th regular season. The team already announced that Patrick Mahomes wouldn’t be playing in the regular season finale. However, the word on Travis Kelce was not mentioned because he had a goal to reach that is now impossible. This move has many fans annoyed.
Travis Kelce was only 16 yards away from recording his eighth straight season of 1,000 receiving yards. It seemed like Mahomes would sit, but Kelce would come in and have a chance to get that opportunity, and then the team could pull him out after he reached the milestone. He will now no longer get that chance. Of course, this isn’t a record he was setting, as only one other tight end had more than two consecutive 1,000-receiving seasons (Greg Olsen had three). The only thing that mattered was keeping his streak intact.
With that said, the Chiefs have no reason to play Travis Kelce – and risk injury. All it would take is one bad cut or hit and Kelce could end up injured, which could ruin the Chiefs’ chances in the NFL playoffs. The Chiefs are 10-6 heading into the final week and already clinched the AFC West. No one in the West can catch them and their spot is third ahead of the Houston Texans, who lose the tiebreaker.
Since the Chiefs can’t improve their positioning in the playoffs, they believe keeping Travis Kelce healthy is more important than putting him in to get his eighth consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season.
This isn’t unique for Travis Kelce
The NFL has always emphasized keeping players healthy when the playoffs are coming. The San Francisco 49ers have clinched the top overall seed in the NFL playoffs and they are resting their starting quarterback and other key players today. The Baltimore Ravens also locked up the top seed in the AFC and they rested their starters, which caused them to lose on Saturday.
There are even cases where NFL players choose to give up a chance at a record for their team’s betterment. Adrian Peterson was only nine yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record in 2012. However, his Minnesota Vikings were working on their postseason position. This kept them from pushing Adrian back out there to break the record. Peterson said that winning was more important than a personal record. Kelce likely feels the same.
What are your thoughts on Travis Kelce holding out of today’s Kansas City Chiefs game to keep him healthy for the playoffs? Do you think he should have gotten the chance to get his 1,000-yard season anyway? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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