The Chiefs‘ Week 2 against the Eagles wasn’t just a bad one but also an expensive one for Travis Kelce. In the third quarter, with 4:16 displayed on the clock, QB Patrick Mahomes threw the ball towards the veteran TE, who ran with it to gain 23 yards. Eagles’ Cooper DeJean was chasing him, but Kelce kept him at bay. Celebrating the moment, the 35-year-old made a gesture towards his groin area, and while the officials missed it then, the league did not.

As per the latest Gameday Accountability report, the player has been fined $14,491 for obscene gestures, which falls under ‘Unsportsmanlike Conduct’. Rule 12 Section 3 of the NFL rulebook suggests that “using abusive, threatening, or insulting language or gestures to opponents, teammates, officials, or representatives of the league” is a prohibited act.

Eventually, Kansas City lost the game 17-20. Travis Kelce‘s mistake in the fourth quarter, when he fumbled a pass, allowing the opposition to intercept the ball, was partly attributed to the defeat. Philadelphia scored a TD off it. However, penalties are not new for Kelce. During the last regular season, he had two penalties:

But it doesn’t end here. During the AFC Championship against the Buffalo Bills, Kelce was fined $11,255 for taunting. The taunting took place right after Mahomes’ 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. It gave the Chiefs a 14-10 lead and ended with the quarterback being driven to the ground by Bills safety Damar Hamlin. As both players got back to their feet, Kelce got into Hamlin’s face. It went unflagged during the game, but a fine was issued later.

Interesting Fact: As per ‘Pro Football Reference’, Kelce has a total of 59 accepted penalties throughout his career (regular season).

Regardless, coming back to Kelce’s Week 2 issue against the Eagles, he wasn’t the only one from that game to receive a fine. Eagles RB Saquon Barkley was hit with a massive $46,371 fine for an illegal use of the helmet against Kansas City in the second quarter. Barkley lowered the crown of his helmet during a play and crashed into Chiefs’ Chamarri Conner. The NFL deems that as unnecessary roughness. While no flag was thrown on the play, the fine was announced after a review.

All that being said, the Chiefs are now 0-2. The team will have to find ways to win in Week 3.

Chiefs’ struggles fall on Andy Reid and Travis Kelce

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid openly accepted blame for the team’s 0-2 start. “I’ll take full responsibility for that game,” Reid said last week. “I probably stayed too aggressive on that, and that’s my responsibility. I thought my guys played their tail off. They played hard, aggressive football, and they stuck together throughout the game, and that will pay off for us down the road as we continue to grow.”

Travis Kelce echoed some of that accountability on his ‘New Heights’ podcast. “You try and turn into Superman and do too much,” he admitted last week. “You try and do more than what is asked of you on a certain play or certain moment. Do I do the routine thing? Or do something spectacular and try to make it all work? I think there’s a little bit of that, at least from me.”

Kelce’s struggles have already contributed to two of the team’s low points this season, including a Week 1 collision with teammate Xavier Worthy that dislocated Worthy’s shoulder, keeping him out of the Week 2 Super Bowl rematch against the Eagles. Worthy now faces the possibility of missing Week 3 as well.

Kelce’s résumé is undeniable, but the slips have started to pile up. Week 2 wasn’t the first mishap of this season, and it likely won’t be the last. The Chiefs have a capable backup in Noah Gray, who posted 437 receiving yards and five touchdowns last season. He has proven he can step up if needed, and with the team desperate for a win, that opportunity could come sooner than expected. What do you think?