Travis Kelce caught slamming ‘bulls***’ NFL gripe in hot mic moment during preseason game
Travis Kelce was caught on hot mics complaining about a ‘bull****’ NFL change during a recent preseason game.
Kelce has had a busy offseason, marrying pop superstar Taylor Swift in a lavish Madison Square Garden ceremony before training camp began.
But it is now all business with the NFL season rapidly approaching, and he surprisingly played in the Chiefs’ final preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks.
While most starters are rested in the final week of games before the regular season, Kelce played the opening drive, catching one pass for eight yards in a game that ended in a 9-9 tie.
He also voiced his gripes at an unusual situation that occurred while he was on the field and showcased a major NFL change in the offseason.
Footage on HBO: Hard Knocks, which is following the Seahawks in preseason, showed officials measuring if the Chiefs had got a first down.
Travis Kelce voiced his gripe with new technology in the final Chiefs preseason game
As Seahawks player Uso Seumalo spoke to referee Bill Vinovich, the official said: ‘We’re doing a virtual measurement just to check the technology’.
Vinovich said: ‘It’s magic’ when Seumalo asked how they do it, at which point Kelce interrupted by yelling across from the offensive huddle.
‘Man, bring the chains back, man,’ Kelce shouted. ‘This is some bull****’.
The referee laughed as Seumalo said: ‘See? Travis Kelce agrees with me’.
The league has introduced virtual measurements, meaning the chain gang is no longer used as a measurement system, though they will still be present and following the game to indicate downs and distances on the sideline.
Sony’s Hawk-Eye system will now determine first downs and spot the ball, measuring whether it has reached the line to gain once it is hand-placed at the spot by officials.
It is estimated by the league that the change will save around 40 seconds per measurement – even if Kelce wishes the old system was still in place.
Kelce is entering his 14th season in the NFL as questions over retirement continue to linger. The Chiefs have welcomed back quarterback Patrick Mahomes after his rapid recovery from the torn ACL that ended his season.
And Kelce is bullish about their offense ahead of their first game of the season against division rivals the Denver Broncos.
‘We’ve got a lot of great players on this offense,’ Kelce told ESPN. ‘It’s not just me.
‘We’ve got some young guys that can play. [Xavier Worthy is] a man on a mission right now, and I love the way he’s working and his attention to detail and how he’s running his routes and just the aggression that he’s running his routes in.
‘Pat has done an unbelievable job of not only getting himself ready, but working with these receivers and making sure that everybody’s living up to that standard of how we’re going to play this year.’
