Skip Bayless calls out Chiefs head coach Andy Reid for “selling his soul” after the Travis Kelce incident at Super Bowl LVIII.
The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in only the second overtime in Super Bowl history earlier this month. Patrick Mahomes seized his third SBMVP award thanks to a championship-sealing drive in the final moments.
The Andy Reid-led offense, spearheaded by Mahomes, started clicking down the stretch for Kansas City. Multi-time All-Pro Travis Kelce made his presence felt in the second half, finishing the game with nine catches for 93 yards.
Pop star icon, and Kelce’s girlfriend, Taylor Swift made regular appearances on screen during the game. The couple dominated Super Bowl headlines throughout the week and in the moments after. It was certainly a night to remember for the Chiefs.
Bayless says Reid “sold his soul” after Kelce incident
However, Reid and Kelce, two future Hall of Famers, got off on the wrong foot early in the contest. In a much-publicized exchange, Kelce yelled and bumped into his head coach after an apparent disagreement in the first quarter.
Many fans and pundits, including FS1’s Skip Bayless, were immediately taken aback. Later, when the NFL released its “mic’d up moments” from the Super Bowl, the Kelce clip noticeably lacked audio. It didn’t take long for Bayless to criticize the league’s decision.
A recent New York Post article questioned the NFL’s willingness to shield the clip from its fans. Bayless echoed the sentiment, with both sides declaring that any other athlete would have faced severe repercussions.
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Good story in the NY Post by Ryan Glasspiegel indicates the Chiefs managed to keep NFL Films audio of Travis Kelce attacking Andy Reid from airing anywhere. No surprise. Kelce was verbally as well as physically abusive. No punishment. Andy sold his coaching soul for that SBowl.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) February 21, 2024
Bayless claims that the Chiefs actively kept the details of the Kelce-Reid exchange private. He called Kelce “verbally and physically abusive” towards his head coach. Then, the polarizing analyst went even further.
“Andy [Reid] sold his soul for that Super Bowl,” the long-time reporter said on X. A source from the New York Post article reinforced Bayless’ stance, agreeing that Reid was likely the one to stop the video’s release.
Later in the report, it says that NFL teams retain veto rights for sharing sensitive moments like Kelce’s Super Bowl shove. So, ultimately, it came down to the Chiefs and Reid, according to the cited sources.
Bayless believes that Reid let Kelce off the hook by not punishing the star tight end. But “selling his soul” for the Super Bowl ring likely borders on the extreme.
Either way, the Chiefs have seemingly put this incident behind them. Kelce said recently on his “New Heights” podcast that his future is tied to Andy Reid’s, with each guy promising a return in 2024.