NFL training camp is all about battling for roster spots, but that competition can sometimes boil over into some heated skirmishes.
The Kansas City Chiefs saw that on Wednesday morning during practice, and star tight end Travis Kelce got involved.
During an 11-on-11 team drill, quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw a short pass to receiver Kadarius Toney, who was looking to pick up some extra yards after the catch, which is usually what coaches are looking for in camp.
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Meanwhile, defenders are not supposed to lay big hits on offensive players, but rather look to square them up before letting them continue to run.
However, Chiefs linebacker George Karlaftis decided to ignore that courtesy for Toney, as he laid him out on the grass. Toney immediately took exception, launching the football he was carrying at Karlaftis’ back, which led to players having some words with one another.
As a huddle began to form, video of the incident showed Kelce running over to confront Karlaftis. As an offensive player, Kelce, a leader in the locker room, was looking to have his fellow receiver’s back.
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Kelce got up close and personal with Karlaftis before visibly shoving him.
Now, we’ve seen shoves turn into punches and an all-out brawl at training camp, but the Chiefs were able to quickly settle the skirmish and walk their separate ways.
Last season, Kelce was involved in multiple training camp scuffles, and he was seen throwing some hands at his teammates. It got to the point where head coach Andy Reid was quoted by ESPN saying, "Fighting is a waste of time."
Kelce took to social media to apologize for his actions as well.
"Gotta be a better teammate gotta be a better leader… plain and simple," he wrote on X.
Some words and a shove from Kelce aren't anything to scoff at, but training camp has just begun. Tempers will flare as players battle for roster spots, though Kelce doesn’t have to worry about his place on the depth chart. He’s just focused on staying healthy for another hopeful Super Bowl run.
But will there be more moments where sticking up for his teammates, or getting mad at defenders leads to a skirmish? If it does, the Chiefs and its fan base will hope things don’t get uglier.
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