Chiefs HC Andy Reid Talks Travis Kelce’s Return; His Coaching Future in KC

Travis Kelce decided to keep playing. Andy Reid had a theory why, and a clean window into what the tight end's day-after-the-season call looked like.

Rich asked Reid why he thinks Kelce came back.

"I think he loves the game," Reid said. "That's what I think. And he still can play. And so those things help. But he surely didn't want to leave on the year that we had."

That part, Reid said, Kelce made clear before the locker room was cold.

"He made that clear right after the season," Reid said. "He wanted to come back, and we worked out his contract."

The contract had to get reworked. Both sides got what they needed. Reid said Kelce has been at OTAs doing his thing, looking forward to it.

When Rich asked if Kelce called him directly, Reid said the conversation happened day-after.

"We talked to him right after, the day after the season," Reid said. "He told me, he says, listen, we get this thing worked out, I'd love to be back. So we dug in on that, and here he is."

Reid's affection for Kelce came through in plain language.

"We all love Travis," Reid said. "He's a Chief and we appreciate him, and it's amazing."

He stopped just short of admitting he could not have done what Kelce does at the same age.

"I wish I had that energy now," Reid said. "I'm not sure I had the energy when I was his age. But this guy, he wants to fight you to take him out of the game or take him out of practice or anything else."

Rich invoked the Super Bowl. Reid did not correct him.

"That's what I'm saying," Reid said. "But I'd much rather have it that way. I don't like guys that want to duck out of the game. I cherish being in there and cherish every play, and that guy does it better than anybody."

The conversation then turned to Reid himself. This is year 14 in Kansas City. He coached the Philadelphia Eagles for 14 years.

"I'm old," Reid said.

He let the laugh come.

"28 years as a head coach, man," Reid said. "That's like dog years, right?"

Rich offered an upgrade.

"You're grizzled, you're experienced," Rich said.

Reid took the framing without taking the bait.

"I love every minute of it," Reid said. "I put a Tommy Bahama shirt on, go to work, and enjoy it, man. I get to be around these young guys, and they keep me young and at heart."

Reid acknowledged the looming Mike Holmgren parallel. Holmgren coached longer in Seattle than in Green Bay, where Reid was on the staff. This year ties Reid up at 14 and 14.

"Now we're tied," Reid said. "We'll be tied this year. 14 Philly, 14 here."

Then he reached for the thing he comes back to whenever the longevity question gets asked.

"There's one when you think about this, Rich, we're one out of 32 guys in the whole world to have a chance to do what we're doing as head coaches," Reid said. "And that's an honor. I cherish every day of it. I have since I was in Philadelphia. I cherished it when I was a tight end coach for the Green Bay Packers and quarterback coach for the Green Bay Packers. Loved every minute of it. And now here I'm sitting doing this thing."

Reid landed the close on what football actually is, in his telling.

"We're just a microcosm of life," Reid said. "You come in, you duke it out, you challenge yourself, you challenge guys around you, they challenge you, and here we go. And you try to work off of each other's whatever your strength is, Rich, you're going to cover up my weakness and vice versa, and let's go."