Travis Kelce talks viral helmet throw, Chiefs woes: 'I gotta lock the (expletive) in'

Travis Kelce lost his head, his cool and his helmet on Christmas.

The Chiefs' offensive scuffles continued, as the Raiders handed K.C. a 20-14 lump of coal of a loss Monday. During the game, the normally cool and collected Kelce caught the eye of cameras, as he tested the durability of his helmet.

On the Dec. 27 edition of Travis and Jason Kelce's "New Heights" podcast, the Chiefs tight end explained the viral helmet toss and his head coach's response to the ordeal:

"Right now, I'm just not playing my best football, and I gotta (expletive) lock the (expletive) in, and be more accountable for him (head coach Andy Reid) and be more accountable for my teammates. I gotta keep my (expletive) cool, man, 'cause as a leader on this team, that's not how you switch the momentum."

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Kelce wasn't and hasn't been the only one to wear his emotions on his sleeves during the wishy-washy Chiefs season. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has blown his stack a few times this season, both on referees and, most recently, the Chiefs offensive line on Christmas.

The motivational methods haven't exactly worked, though Kelce does appreciate his head coach looking out for him.

"He's (Reid) looking out for me, and I love him for it. I didn't go back out there and play good. He wanted to see the fire in me, and I reacted in a bad way. He wanted to just get the best out of me."

The Chiefs offense has been fairly un-Chiefs like in 2023, and that's obviously drawn the attention of Kelce, who offered a blunt assessment of the unit.

"It hasn't been a well-oiled machine like it's been in the past. We just gotta get everybody on the same (expletive) page. Maybe that's just getting into the facility and just talking things out together. Maybe that's getting a few reps after practice, maybe that's getting a few more reps, mental reps with each other in the film room. Whatever it is, we gotta do something else. …

"We just gotta find a way to clean this (expletive) up, man."

To his own admission, Kelce didn't put forth his best performance Monday, notching five catches for 44 yards in the matchup. He was also 0-for-1 passing, with the helmet landing incomplete.

Time will tell if the helmet throw got Kelce a head start on the 2024 naughty list.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chiefs' Travis Kelce talks helmet throw, Andy Reid's response