In a moment of frustration, Travis Kelce shoved Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy on the sideline Sunday. The tight end immediately regretted it, returning to give Bieniemy a hug soon after.
“We’re good,’' Kelce said Wednesday, via Adam Teicher of ESPN. “Me and coach Bieniemy have a very close relationship. I love him. He’s helped me out tremendously as a person, as a professional, and I’m sure he’ll keep doing that throughout the rest of my career. . . . I love the guy. That will never change. I appreciate him being on my tail to get me going.
“As far as what happened on the sideline, sometimes in football you get a little heated with your brothers or your coaches.’'
Kelce and Bieniemy had to be separated on the sideline after Bieniemy approached Kelce following an incomplete pass intended for Kelce. Guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and offensive tackle Cam Erving stepped between Kelce and Bieniemy.
“He’s like a father figure, in terms of being there for me on the field,’' Kelce said. “We’re wired a little bit the same when it comes to our competitive edge. . . . It’s something immediately I regretted, and I just wanted to make it good and let him know that, ‘You know what? I’m ready to rock and roll for you.’”
Kelce’s frustration has surfaced at various times in his career, including in 2016 when he was ejected from a game against the Jaguars after the Pro Bowler threw a penalty flag at an official.
“I haven’t felt like that in a while,’' Kelce said. “That’s definitely something I’ve been thinking about a lot, just how to handle a lot of those situations. Looking back, seeing how I connected the dots after maybe a frustrating play and how to kind of [narrow] in and be able to attack on the next play with a clear mind.
“It’s football. It’s not always going to go your way, so I’ve just got to maintain the level of focus and the level of excitement that I have for the game.”