Travis Kelce chose to return for his 14th season with the Kansas City Chiefs, but training camp has already made it clear that this year could be one of his toughest. From enduring body-shaming to a string of drops grabbing headlines, the veteran tight end has given fans plenty to talk about… and plenty of reason to wonder what awaits him once the regular season kicks off.

Here’s what happened: Podcaster Farzin Vousoughian posted a 40-second clip on X from the session with a simple instruction for viewers: turn your sound on. What follows is Bieniemy doing what Bieniemy does best: coaching loud and getting after his guys during drills. And just then, Travis Kelce dropped a pass by Patrick Mahomes to make him only louder.

Mahomes threw the ball to his left, anticipating that Kelce would reach it on time. However, the No. 87 was a tad slow as the ball fell right in front of him. Bieniemy could be seen saying, “Hey, heads up, eyes up!” to his players after that play.

The Chiefs had taken Sunday off, so Monday’s practice was their 11th session of camp, and Bieniemy was locked in before the first-team offense had even run a play. He was on the offense about huddle discipline before anyone had lined up.

“Get the [expletive] out of the huddle,” he yelled, loud enough that people on the far field bleachers could hear him.

A little later, during a run period, he called out his unit’s body language mid-rep. Nothing major, just the kind of small correction he is known for, but it landed with the same energy.

Though he is known for being loud and passionate, for a lot of guys on this roster, this is actually new. Bieniemy hasn’t coached the Chiefs since 2022, so players like left guard Kingsley Suamataia are still getting used to him in real time.

“Coach EB, he’s crazy,” Suamataia said, before breaking into a grin. “He’s a great guy, very vocal. He pushes us to our limits every day so we can be the best offense out there.”

That energy is a welcoming sight, but it also arrives at an interesting moment for the offense.

Earlier this month, Travis Kelce had a rough go of it. On one play, a Patrick Mahomes pass sailed a bit too far in front of him. Kelce stretched to make the catch, got a hand on it, and the ball deflected right into cornerback Mansoor Delane’s hands for an interception.

Both Mahomes and Kelce took responsibility afterward, but it didn’t stop fans from bringing up Kelce’s drops from last season, some of which turned into picks of their own. Then there was a second, harder moment.

On another day, cornerback Melvin Smith Jr. peeled off flat coverage and collided with Kelce, jarring the ball loose. It was a physical hit for a camp setting, and for a few uncomfortable seconds, the 36-year-old tight end stayed down on his knees before slowly getting back up. It wasn’t his only tough rep of that day either. Cornerback Chris Roland-Wallace also broke up a pass meant for him during 7-on-7 work.

So, now that Bieniemy’s back, the energy on the practice field is undeniable. Whether that translates into a smoother camp for Kelce, who is clearly feeling some early pressure, is something worth watching in the days ahead. All that said, Kelce knows Bieniemy will get the best out of him.

Travis Kelce knows not to mess with Eric Bieniemy!

In June, Kelce shared on his New Heights podcast how no one goofs off around Eric Bieniemy.

“The accountability that Eric Bieniemy holds is second to none, man,” Kelce revealed. “Just his coaching style, how he preaches how to practice for it to translate into the games.

“It’s something I think we’ve missed, and you know, it’s not saying that anybody else was not good. We still went out, we won another Super Bowl, and all that [after Bieniemy left following the 2022 season]. We definitely still had the pieces, but at the same time, Bieniemy has this ability to kind of tweak the culture in the right direction. I think this is going to really help us out this year.”

Kelce said it himself: having Bieniemy in the building means being on time, staying locked in during every meeting and bringing your A-game every day. So, it’s no surprise the veteran tight end also said he’d be ready to run through a wall for Bieniemy this season.

While that might not be necessary, Bieniemy will surely expect the veteran tight end to not drop catches.