The Chiefs’ receiving corps honored tight end Travis Kelce in a special way Sunday.
Before kickoff against the Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Rashee Rice and his fellow Kansas City wideouts were seen wearing T-shirts featuring the three-time Super Bowl champion amid his quiet start to the season, which has been highly publicized.
Tracy Wolfson of CBS Sports reported Sunday that Rice “got them for all the WRs to honor their leader and a guy who has mentored all of them, especially Rice.”
Kelce, 34, has tallied eight receptions for 69 yards and zero touchdowns in three games.
The fallout over Kelce’s quiet performances has been swift, with sports media personalities questioning where his focus lies as he pursues endeavors off the field.
Chiefs brass maintain Kelce hasn’t missed a step and that opposing defenses continue to zone in on him heavily during games.
“I’m gonna try to do my best to keep feeding him the ball whenever he’s there, whenever he’s open. I think the more Rashee [Rice] makes plays, the more we’re able to run the football, the more we can get [rookie wide receiver Xavier] Worthy involved, I think that’s going to open Travis up more,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes previously said. “People are really emphasizing trying to take him away and that’s getting other guys open.”
Through three games, Rice has 24 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns.
Kelce got off to a fiery start Sunday, securing a 38-yard gain in the first quarter.
The Chiefs are looking to extend their win streak to 4-0 on Sunday as their pursuit of a Super Bowl three-peat continues.
It appears Kelce’s girlfriend, pop superstar Taylor Swift, skipped the Week 4 clash after missing Kansas City’s Week 3 win in Atlanta on Sunday.
She attended the first two Chiefs games of the year at Arrowhead Stadium earlier this month.