NEED TO KNOW
- Kelce showed his appreciation for the troops before the Chiefs-Seahawks game on Sunday, Oct. 25
- The Chiefs tight end set the all-time tight end record for receiving yards including playoffs during the Seahawks matchup
- The Chiefs suffered their first loss of the season and face the Denver Broncos next week
Travis Kelce is sharing the love before kickoff.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end, 37, showed his appreciation for the men and women serving in the military as he got pumped up for the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash. on Sunday, Oct. 25.
In an Instagram clip shared by NFL on ESPN, Kelce is seen removing his helmet and placing his right hand on his heart as he walks toward the group of U.S. Army soldiers in attendance who were standing on the sidelines before the game.
Credit: Brooke Sutton/Getty
“Thank you for your service, guys. Much love, baby,” he proudly tells them. The camera then pans to the uniformed service members, who smile as they take in Kelce’s words.
Kelce led the Chiefs with four receptions for 44 yards during the 20-3 loss to the Seahawks, the team’s first loss of the season. Despite Kansas City dropping to a 5-1 record, the star tight end achieved two major career milestones in the game.
During the matchup, the three-time Super Bowl winner passed Tony Gonzalez’s 15,413 yards to claim the all-time record of most career receiving yards by a tight end, including playoffs. He entered the night needing just 35 yards to surpass the retired star.
Additionally, Kelce moved into the top five all-time in regular-season receptions during the Chiefs-Seahawks showdown. The star tight end finished the game with 1,103 career regular-season receptions, passing Cris Carter’s 1,101 and Marvin Harrison’s 1,102.
Credit: Caleb Bowlin/Getty
Coach Andy Reid spoke with the media about the tough loss in a press conference after the game. He took “full responsibility” for the Chiefs’ first L of the season, and explained what they have to do as a team moving forward.
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“All three phases, we struggled. So we gotta do better, and that’s my responsibility. I take full responsibility for this,” Reid said in the post-game presser. “We gotta play better as a team. A tough place to play, but this is all part of it. They’re a good football team and they played well. My hat goes off to them.”
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also reacted to the team’s loss, and shared his “biggest takeaway” from the defeat.
Credit: Caleb Bowlin/Getty
“If you don’t come ready to play, you can get your tail kicked in this league. No matter if you’re 5-0 or whatever it is, every week is a new week and every team can do this,” Mahomes, 31, said in presser. “We got a young team. It’ll be about how we respond from this, obviously, with the big game coming up this week.”
He added, “So let’s get rolling and get ourselves ready for that.”
Kelce has been racking up the career accomplishments this season, breaking records and making history since Week 1.
On Sept. 20, the tight end set the NFL record for most yards after a first-quarter catch from Mahomes that led to a touchdown, surpassing Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk to solidify himself at the top of the list.
The week prior, Kelce moved into second place all-time in receiving yards for an NFL tight end during the Chiefs 31-1 win against the Denver Broncos in the season opener.
The Chiefs next take on the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Nov. 1. The Broncos are 5-2 heading into Week 8.
Read the original article on People