Travis Kelce faces an anxious wait to see if Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid will select him for their Week 18 fixture against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Kelce has enjoyed a fine season, amassing 984 receiving yards and needing only 16 more to register his eighth consecutive 1,000-yard campaign. Given he has exceeded that target in all but one of his appearances this season, few would bet against the 34-year-old reaching the impressive milestone.
Only against the Miami Dolphins, where he posted three receptions for 14 yards, has he fallen short of the required figure. And while his three receptions against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 31 saw him post his joint-lowest numbers for the season, he would be gunning for his record if given the chance.
If he plays and exceeds 16 receiving yards, he would extend his own record for most 1,000-yard seasons and consecutive 1,000-yard seasons by a tight end, making him arguably the best in the business in his position. But in the scenario where he is left out against the Chargers, he would see that record brought to a disappointing end on Sunday – and the decision rests firmly in the hands of Super Bowl-winning coach Reid.
The dilemma for Andy Reid
The Chiefs have not had an easy ride heading into the playoffs with a 10-6 record for the season, eventually pipping the Denver Broncos to the top seed. Reid would be reluctant to anger one of his star athletes by denying him the chance to maintain his record, something NFL stars pride themselves on. He has already made the call to leave out quarterback Patrick Mahomes for backup Blaine Gabbert.
When the Chiefs coach was recently asked about the players that were close to milestones playing against the Chargers, Reid was coy with his answer and said it would ‘depend’ on what the accomplishment is. A reporter then quizzed him directly about Kelce’s shot at an eighth-consecutive 1,000-yard-receiving season, to which he replied: “We’ll see how all that goes.” But with Kelce, a neck problem has complicated his choice, and the last thing he would want is to lose Kelce for the playoffs. As it stands, Reid says no final decision has been made on whether Kelce will line up as the chance to extend his records hangs in the balance.
