Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was just 16 yards away from reaching the 1,000-yard receiving mark by 2023 when his streak of seven consecutive seasons reaching the mark came to an end.
But it wasn't for lack of trying.
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Tight end Travis Kelce with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes before the Los Angeles Chargers game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. (Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
Patrick Mahomes said in a radio interview Tuesday that he tried to convince Kelce to play and hit the mark in the Chiefs' season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers. Kelce was deactivated to rest for the playoffs, as the Chiefs will play the Miami Dolphins in the first round.
“That's the type of teammate he is; in all honesty, I was trying to force him to play,” the star quarterback said on 610 Sports Radio. “I knew he was going to try not to play, and he wanted to worry about the team and not himself. I was trying to force him the whole time until game time, and then he said, 'No, that's not what I want.'” “I am, I don't want to play for those reasons. I want to rest and be healthy for the playoffs.”
Patrick Mahomes leads the Kansas City Chiefs out of the tunnel before the Los Angeles Chargers game at SoFi Stadium on January 7, 2024. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
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Mahomes said the Chiefs had some plays ready for Kelce to hit the mark, but he refused to do anything like that and wasn't going to play for those reasons.
Kelce was dealing with a neck injury. He was limited in practice in the week leading up to the Chargers game.
As of Tuesday, he was not listed on the injury report.
Travis Kelce of the Chiefs enters the field for the Cincinnati Bengals game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on December 31, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
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The Chiefs and Dolphins meet at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday night. Temperatures are expected to reach single digits around game time.
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