Travis Kelce keeps winning, from Taylor Swift to Super Bowls, despite ‘jabroni’ moments like bumping Andy Reid

LAS VEGAS — In the city of second chances, Travis Kelce atoned for his sin.

“Put it on me,” Kelce said he told Andy Reid at halftime after he nearly knocked over his coach in a fit of rage on the sideline.

The Chiefs tight end did far less damage on the field in the first half, catching only one pass for 1 yard. But Kelce later caught eight passes for 92 yards, including a 22-yard grab late in regulation that set up the Chiefs’ game-tying field goal. And in overtime, Patrick Mahomes did the rest as Kansas City outlasted the 49ers, 25-22, in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday.

» READ MORE: Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes was magical once again, as the Chiefs’ ‘Corndog’ comes through in the end

The MVP quarterback certainly had help in rallying from multiple deficits. But Mahomes is the great eraser. While Kelce’s bump of Reid won’t exactly be scrubbed from memories, history is written by the winners. And Kelce left out a chapter — for now.

“I was just telling him how much I love him,” Kelce said when asked about his outburst.

The moment in question came after Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco fumbled on first down at the San Francisco 9-yard line. Kelce wasn’t in on the play and charged at Reid. He was yelling, apparently upset that he was taken out, and rammed into his coach.

The 65-year-old Reid tried to grab Kelce’s arm after he regained his footing, but he allowed nearby running back Jerick McKinnon to grab the tight end and remove him from the scene.

“He caught me off balance. I wasn’t watching. Cheap shot,” Reid said. “But that’s all right. He was coming hard, ‘Just put me in and I’ll score. I’ll score.’ So that’s really what it was. It’s not the first time. So, listen, I appreciate him.”

A different coach might have responded another way. But Reid and Kelce have been together for 11 seasons. They’ve had their travails, most of them involving the latter’s lack of maturity. But the steady coach has been the yin to the temperamental yang of the 34-year-old tight end.

Reid probably wouldn’t give Kelce as much rope if he weren’t one of the best ever at his position. And he alluded to not giving him a pass during an interview with NFL Network after the game, saying “then I had to go take care of business with him.”

Whatever Reid said worked in the second half. Before the break, the Chiefs looked out of sync, with Mahomes unable to hook up with his favorite target. Kelce saw the ball only once — on Kansas City’s first series — on an ineffective screen.

But his fortunes reversed in the final 45 minutes. Asked what changed, Kelce said, “I stopped playing like a jabroni.”

In truth, Reid called more man-beaters to free Kelce up on shorter routes, which set up some second-level completions when the 49ers were in obvious zone coverage.

“They doubled him early,” Reid said. “And we came back to him in the second half and had him rub off of people, kind of do combination routes. … We know we need to get him the ball.”

Kelce’s most pivotal moment, it seemed, came with 16 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Kansas City faced a third-and-7 at the San Francisco 33. Kicker Harrison Butker had already kicked a field goal from 57 yards, so the Chiefs were well within his range.

But Kelce’s 22-yard catch and run on a shallow crossing route vs. linebacker Fred Warner took a lower-percentage kick out of the equation.

“Good thing my old ass can still run,” Kelce said.

» READ MORE: Jason Kelce is enjoying the Super Bowl and meeting with TV execs as he considers retirement

The Chiefs, though, had nine ticks left to win the game with a touchdown. Mahomes threw a back-shoulder pass to Kelce in the end zone, but Warner ran step-for-step with him and the pass was off. Butker’s 29-yard field goal set up the second overtime game in Super Bowl history.

After the 49ers settled for a field goal on the first possession of the extra frame, Kelce became more of a decoy as Mahomes marched the Chiefs down the field. But Kelce did pick up a first down with a tough 7-yard gain on a screen that advanced Kansas City to the San Francisco 3.

And then on the next play, Kelce drew two defenders that helped free up wide receiver Mecole Hardman for a walk-in, walk-off touchdown.

“As soon as I saw the guys in the flat run with me,” Kelce said, “I just had a feeling Mecole was open.”

Red and gold confetti rained down for a second straight February as the Chiefs became the first team to win back-to-back titles in 19 years. Their third crown in five seasons conjured talk of a dynasty.

Reid said he isn’t going anywhere, and why would he with the generational Mahomes? Kelce avoided talk of his future and said he wanted to just enjoy the moment. He’s had quite the last few years.

His New Heights podcast with brother Jason turned the Kelces into sporting celebrities and in-demand advertisers. But Travis’ relationship with the biggest pop star in the world, Taylor Swift, has made him a household name even for those without football interest.

It has broadened his appeal, but has also brought with it intense scrutiny and the requisite criticism that has only been amplified by social media.

“Swifties” probably didn’t know that Kelce has a dark side. He’s managed to keep it mostly under wraps in recent years. Reid was instrumental in his maturing.

“He’s helped me a lot with channeling that emotion, with channeling that passion,” Kelce said. “I owe my entire career to that guy and being able to kind of control how emotional I get. I just love him.”

The Kelces are, if anything, emotional. Jason has a legendary temper, but his is often directed at himself or some inanimate object. On the biggest athletic stage, Travis decided to go after a legendary coach, but the one with the necessary restraint to appreciate the competitiveness behind the action.

» READ MORE: Super Bowl LVIII showed again that Andy Reid is an all-time great coach. How much better can he get?

“He was emotional today,” Reid said. “Listen, I have five kids, so I get how that goes. The part I love is he loves to play the game and he wants to help his team win. It’s not a selfish thing and I understand that. And so, as much as he bumps into me, I get after him. We understand that.

“He just caught me off balance.”

It was a topsy-turvy season for the Chiefs. But they shook it off and walked it off and Kelce had his redemption, even though some may believe he hasn’t earned it. The stadium speakers played his theme song, the Beastie Boys’ “You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party,” as Swift joined him in celebration afterward.

On the podium, Kelce didn’t sing one of the hit singles penned by his girlfriend. He sang to the city that allows for reinvention.

“Viva Las Vegas,” he crooned. “Viva Las Vegas.”