Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid defend Travis Kelce’s slow start

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Andy Reid has heard from the outside that Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who turns 35 next week, is too old to be a top receiver. He’s heard talk that Kelce’s relationship with Taylor Swift has taken the tight end’s focus away from football.

He just doesn’t buy any of it.

“I know people say he’s old or whatever, that he has distractions and all that (but) the defense doesn’t believe that,” the Chiefs coach said, suggesting that opposing defenses are taking Kelce with him suffocate under their covers. “We have another one.” Receiver (Rashee Rice), who plays against him, has a lot of yards and catches and that’s how things work.

“He works hard and doesn’t lose his stride and all those things and he doesn’t get distracted. That is not the case. People are making sure he’s taken care of by some of these defense mechanisms.”

Kelce’s numbers are down sharply this season. He has eight catches for 69 yards and no touchdowns in three games.

But Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes made their strongest comments yet in defense of Kelce’s play. Mahomes, like Reid, said Rice benefits from the defensive attention on Kelce. Rice leads the NFL with 24 catches and is second with 288 yards.

“Teams have to adjust (covering Rice),” Mahomes said. “If they don’t do that, Rashee will have 2,000 yards.”

Mahomes pointed to a play from last week’s win over the Atlanta Falcons for Kelce’s impact. Coming off the line, Kelce was pushed by a defender and then surrounded by three others as he got into his passing route.

That left another tight end, Noah Gray, in the middle of the field with no defender within 10 yards. Mahomes completed the pass to Gray.

“It helps other guys,” Mahomes said. “If we show Noah catching that from 13 or 15 yards, whatever it is, or if he takes a guy and Rashee catches the ball and breaks the tackle and gets 15, 20 yards. …It’s part of the game. “I obviously want to give him the ball and let him influence the game that way, but the more the defense respects him, the more other players open up and other players make plays.”