Travis Kelce apologized for punching Chiefs star in training camp but Patrick Mahomes ‘loved’ it

The Kansas City Chiefs were back-to-back Super Bowl champions for a reason.

Andy Reid‘s team dominated the NFL in 2022 and 2023, en-route to lifting the Lombardi Trophy twice on the bounce.

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Led by a superstar duo in quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, Kansas City came out on top most weekends.

The fire was constantly on show as the Chiefs turned Arrowhead Stadium into a fortress, losing just five games at home across those two glorious seasons.

Burning intensity was also on show on the practice field, too — especially during one heated moment in July 2023.

Three years ago, Kelce was forced to apologize after a training camp scuffle with a teammate.

The legendary TE, who will return for a 14th season with the Chiefs in 2026, caught a touchdown from Mahomes.

Jack Cochrane, a second-year linebacker at the time, tried to hit the ball loose — but only succeeded in pushing Kelce’s buttons.

The superstar punched his teammate in the helmet — an act that would make every head coach wince — and the pair shoved each other until they were pulled apart.

Such incidents are common every summer as players prepare for the brutal NFL season, and no harm was done.

But Kelce still felt the need to apologize in his position as a senior player.

“Gotta be a better teammate gotta be a better leader… plain and simple,” he posted on X at the time.

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Mahomes, meanwhile, didn’t see any issues with the incident.

Patrick Mahomes ‘loved’ Travis Kelce’s training camp scuffle

He suggested the fact that tempers flared showed the Chiefs were not complacent as they prepared to defend their Super Bowl trophy.

“I think we all have it. We have a lot of guys out here that are super competitive, but it’s about just doing it the right way,” Mahomes said.

“Trav punching the guy, not necessarily the way you want to do it, but you love the fire. You love the fire on both sides of the ball.

“Trying to finish to the last second, but that’s just the type of guys we are.

“We’re going to compete, we’re going to argue on the football field, and then we’re going to love each other in the locker room.

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“We have a lot of dudes that are super competitive on this team.”

It’s that mentality that made the Chiefs great, as they went on to secure a Super Bowl triumph in 2023, and set up a shot at an unprecedented three-peat.

That, of course, fell by the wayside as the Philadelphia Eagles overpowered them in Super Bowl LIX.

Kansas City hoped to bounce back in 2025, but instead the dynasty crumbled with a poor 6-11 finish, which saw the team miss the playoffs for the first time in over a decade.

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The good news, though, is that Mahomes, Kelce and Coach Reid will all return in search of redemption this season.

Travis Kelce and Chiefs locked in for 2026

Kelce has held off retirement for another year, while Mahomes signed a record-breaking contract extension in the offseason, despite going down with a torn ACL last December.

Reid is happy to have both back for 2026, and insisted that his veteran tight end is in great shape, thanks in part to his wedding antics.

Kelce married Taylor Swift this summer.

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“Yeah, he looked pretty good, you know,” Reid said as his TE returned to camp.

“He stayed in shape. He did a lot of dancing at his wedding.

“He’s a great leader, and he works hard. He wants to be in there, and for a young guy to look at that, it’s hard for them to make an excuse to take a rep off.

“Because he’s out there going. And if they try to get sneaky, he yanks them back in there.

“So, he makes them go. That’s always a good thing to have.”

Kelce’s high standards have helped power the Chiefs to Super Bowl glory three times already. They have also caused a fight or two on the practice field.

At 36, he returns with the same fire, and hopes of lifting the Lombardi for a fourth time, before riding off into the sunset.