Chiefs star Travis Kelce gave fans a glimpse of what was going on in his head during that lateral play in Week 14’s 20—17 loss to the Bills.
What every NFL fan was thinking during the play is clear enough. But what was Kelce thinking?
The two-time Super Bowl champ said on Wednesday’s episode of the New Heights podcast that he made the decision to throw the lateral “on the spot.”
Kelce proceeded to give a technical breakdown of what he saw on the field:
“Dude, it was such a bang bang… Like, I caught it, turned upfield, saw the single high safety coming down, knew I had broken the contain angle of the guy chasing me,” said Kelce.
“When I broke [the safety’s] angle, I knew it was two-on-one. He’s the only guy on that side of the field,” he added. “I knew [Kadarius Toney] was over there from the route he ran, saw him out of the corner of my eye in a lateral position where I knew if I could get him the ball, I knew he had space to score a touchdown.”
Travis broke down the craziest lateral that didn't count
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New Heights co-host Jason Kelce then asked what Chiefs coach Andy Reid said on the sideline, to which Travis Kelce responded, “I didn’t talk to Coach Reid… In retrospect, could you imagine if that got tipped? I could see Coach Reid just in my head, ‘Come here.’”
Despite the negated touchdown, Kelce told Toney afterward, “We’re just going to have to do it again, big dog.”
The Chiefs tight end ended his spiel with a warning for future opposing defensive coordinators.
“If we get the opportunity again, I’m going to throw that s— right into [Toney's] chest,” he said. “I’m trusting in 19 every time he’s out there on the field.”
So there you have it—from the man, the myth, the legend himself. Who knows how Kelce's “legendary” career will be affected by Kansas City's craziest touchdown play that never was.
