Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce has strongly denied claims that the team deliberately lost their Week 18 matchup against the Denver Broncos to eliminate the Cincinnati Bengals from playoff contention. The accusations surfaced after the Broncos secured a resounding 38-0 victory over a Chiefs squad that rested most of its starters.
The Bengals, who finished the season 9-8, needed a Chiefs win alongside their own victory and a Miami Dolphins loss to secure a playoff berth. Despite the Jets defeating the Dolphins, the Chiefs’ lopsided loss to Denver dashed Cincinnati’s postseason hopes.
Speculation online suggested that Kansas City may have tanked the game to avoid facing the Bengals in the playoffs—a formidable team led by quarterback Joe Burrow, who topped league passing stats, and star receiver Ja’Marr Chase. However, Kelce rejected the narrative emphatically during an episode of the “New Heights” podcast, which he co-hosts with his brother and former NFL player Jason Kelce.
“I ain’t scared of fking nobody,” Kelce declared. “I wanted (the Bengals) in the fking playoffs. I want to slay every dragon one by one, like Mortal Kombat. I don’t even want to play the lowest seed. Just give me the best teams—AFC, NFC—it doesn’t matter. Mortal Kombat-style, I’ll take them all.”
The Chiefs and Bengals have a storied rivalry, with memorable postseason battles between quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow often determining the AFC’s Super Bowl representative. In 2022, the Bengals defeated the Chiefs en route to the Super Bowl, coining Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium as “Burrowhead.” The following year, Kansas City edged Cincinnati in a tight rematch, with Kelce famously responding, “‘Burrowhead,’ my a**. It’s Mahomes’ house!”
Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt added fuel to the fire, dismissing Kelce’s comments as “cap” (lies) in an Instagram story.
On the podcast, Kelce remained adamant about his respect for the Bengals as competitors, even expressing disappointment that they didn’t make the postseason.
“I’d play the (Bengals) at a Walmart parking lot. I don’t give a sh*t,” Kelce added. “The Bengals were a fun team to watch at the end of the season. It’s a shame they didn’t make the playoffs because they would’ve made it crazier and more fun.”
As the AFC’s No. 1 seed, the Chiefs earned a first-round bye in the playoffs and are preparing for their postseason push toward a third consecutive Super Bowl title.
Source: Swifteradio.com
