Andy Reid-Travis Kelce timeline of sideline incidents: Every time Chiefs star tight end and coach have gotten into spat

David Suggs

•
Andy Reid-Travis Kelce timeline of sideline incidents: Every time Chiefs star tight end and coach have gotten into spat image

The Kansas City Chiefs are perennial winners and Super Bowl contenders, having left even the NFL's best sides in ashes after more than half a decade of dominance.

Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones have spearheaded the roster's on-field success, with each emerging to become Hall of Fame-caliber talent. And yet, there's arguably no man more important to the cause than Kansas City's tactician, Andy Reid.

The former Eagles head coach is a tactical wizard, known to coax more out of less than most other playcallers in the league. His offensive game plan is enchanting, filled with deception and chicanery designed to fool opposition defenses.

With three Lombardi Trophies in their grasp, Reid's efforts are certainly working.

Yet, Reid's true impact isn't merely reflected in his trophy cabinet or proficiency with the headset on. It's also displayed in his interactions with his players, including Kelce. And no moment better encapsulates his openness than his most frantic sideline interactions with Kansas City's beloved tight end.

With that, here's what you need to know about Kelce's famous sideline confrontations with his beloved coach.

MORE: Ranking the 16 greatest Chiefs players ever, from Tyreek Hill to Patrick Mahomes

Travis Kelce-Andy Reid timeline of sideline incidents

Kelce and Reid have had their fair share of run-ins during their glistening time together. Here are some of the most notable incidents to take place outside the boundary.

Super Bowl 58

  • Date: Feb. 11, 2024
  • Opponent: San Francisco 49ers
  • Final score: Chiefs 25, 49ers 22 (OT)

Kelce and Reid's most famous confrontation came when the lights were brightest. Kansas City and San Francisco were locked into a tight affair. Kelce was kept quiet in the opening 15 minutes of the game, collecting just one catch for one yard. In the second quarter, the Chiefs offense started humming, working its way up the field courtesy of a 52-yard pitch-and-catch between Patrick Mahomes and Mecole Hardman.

MORE: Most Super Bowl wins in history by player

But one play later, Isaiah Pacheco coughed up the ball. The bumbling orb landed in a 49ers defender's hands, halting Kansas City's momentum and sending Kelce over the edge.

The future Hall of Famer made a beeline for his longtime coach, crashing into Reid and knocking his clipboard loose before berating the veteran taskmaster. Kelce wasn't in the game when the fumble occurred; Reid had swapped him for youngster Noah Gray.

Predictably, the fracas went viral on social media. Users far and wide took images of the quarrel and reimagined it in different — and exceedingly humorous — contexts.

MORE: How much money has Patrick Mahomes made in NFL career?

Neither Kelce nor Reid made much of their squabble postgame.

"I'm going to keep that between us unless my 'mic'd up' tells the world," Kelce said during a postgame interview on ESPN. "But I was just telling him how much I love him."

Reid shared similar sentiments, telling reporters that Kelce "keeps me young."

"Tested that hip out. He caught me off-balance," Reid said. "Normally I'd give him a little bit, but I didn't have any feet under me."

MORE: Patrick Mahomes' family tree, from wife Brittany to three kids

Kelce did credit Reid for helping him keep his emotions in check throughout his sparkling career.

"He's helped me a lot with that. With channeling that emotion and channeling that passion," Kelce said. "I owe my entire career to that guy [and] being able to control kinda how emotional I get. I just love him."

The Chiefs downed their NFC opposition, 25-22 in overtime, to secure their second-straight Super Bowl.

Kelce admitted he "crossed the line" during his Super Bowl 58 post-mortem with brother older brother Jason on their "New Heights podcast."

MORE: Complete list of Super Bowl MVPs through the years

"I got a certain relationship with him. He's checked me a few times and I just wanted to let him know that I wanted this thing, and he can put it on me, and I got him," Kelce said. "You know, it just came in a moment where we weren't playing very well, I wasn't playing well, and we had to get some s--- going and sometimes ... emotions get away from me and that's been the battle of my career.

 "I immediately wished I could take it back. Coach Reid actually came right up to me after that and didn't even have harsh words for me. I was ready to get a f— ass-chewing and for him to just tell me to 'f— be better,' and he just let [me] know, 'Hey man, I love your passion. I got cameras on me all over the place man, you don't want things to come off' ... and it just made me ... fired up to get a f— victory for him, man. Cause that's how much I love that dude, man. So Big Red, sorry if I caught you with that cheap shot, baby."

MORE: Ranking the best QBs taken with picks 1-32, from Peyton Manning to Lamar Jackson

Chiefs vs. Giants

  • Date: Sept. 21, 2025
  • Opponent: New York Giants
  • Final score: Chiefs 22, Giants 9

Kelce rekindled his reputation for fiery outbursts during Kansas City's Week 3 clash with New York in 2025. The Chiefs were desperate for a victory, having dropped each of their opening two contests to start the year.

He set his sights for his longtime coach once more partway through the second quarter of the contest. This time, Reid responded with force, delivering a shoulder bump of his own to his longtime pupil after the Chiefs' offense stalled out once more.

It's still unclear why Reid and Kelce felt compelled to lock horns. Reid insinuated that the interaction was aimed at lifting the team out of its malaise while speaking with NBC's Melissa Stark at halftime.

Kelce didn't perform much better in the final 30 minutes of action. He finished the day with four receptions for 26 yards, a far cry from the depth-defying heights he scaled during his peak.

MORE: Breaking down the heaviest players of all time in the NFL

Nevertheless, Kansas City did secure a much-needed win over the Giants on national television. So perhaps his tactics did work out, in the end.

David Suggs

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.