NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is furious with Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid over his limited use of Travis Kelce in the Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Chiefs’ hopes of a three-peat crashed horribly and quickly when they trailed by as many as 34 points in February’s NFL championship game and eventually lost 40-22.
In the loss, Kelce had four catches on six targets for 39 yards, with all of his championship-game receptions coming with four minutes left in the third quarter or later in the demise.
For the Patrick Mahomes’ most-prized weapon, his lack of influence on the most important game of the year was startling.
Count the NBA Hall of Famer and basketball broadcaster as part of the group dumbfounded by how the night in New Orleans transpired for the 35-year-old boyfriend of Taylor Swift.
‘I have a question, how come they didn’t use you a lot at the Super Bowl?’ O’Neal said on ‘New Heights’. ‘I know you were f***in’ p***ed, like I don’t wanna get you in trouble.’
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is furious with Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid
The longtime Laker is pissed about the limited use of Travis Kelce in the Super Bowl
The hopes of a Reid-coached three-peat horribly and quickly vanished against Philadelphia
‘We were trying to use all the pieces man,’ Kelce replied, before O’Neal quickly interjected.
‘Nah, f*** all the pieces,’ O’Neal retorted. ‘I need the pieces to help us win the first f***in’ Super Bowl, don’t be trying to do new s***. … I wasn’t happy about that.’
‘I appreciate that, the Eagles were doing a pretty good job of bracketing me and s*** like that,’ Kelce added.
‘No! F*** that. Stop it. Will you f***ing stop it dot com? You don’t have to talk. Coach, he’s f***in’ 6-8′, throw him the goddamn ball – single coverage, double coverage, goal line, alley-oop. Coach, that’s the play you call,’ O’Neal continued.
‘I’m telling you, I’m going to Coach Reid with that one right now,’ Kelce said. ‘And wait ’til you see this year baby. I’m coming back with a little bit of that Shaq f***in’ pissed off. And ready to rock and roll man.’
‘I know you are,’ O’Neal concluded.
Kelce’s mindset coming into the NFL season has been questioned after his drop in individual success from last year and his wait to confirm he was coming back to the Chiefs for this fall.
The 6-foot-5 Kelce’s 823 receiving yards and three touchdowns were each his lowest since his rookie season a dozen years ago, where he barely touched the field. The tight end’s blossoming media career outside the NFL was blamed as a distraction, as well as his romance with Swift.
Kelce’s mindset coming into the season has been questioned after a drop in individual success
Taylor Swift and the tight end’s media career outside the NFL was blamed as a distraction
O’Neal is in the middle of a bustling media career himself as a longtime NBA analyst
Kelce was visibly frustrated when leaving the field in New Orleans and in the locker room after the Super Bowl but did not express any disgust for how he was used in the game with Reid specifically.
O’Neal is in the middle of a bustling media career himself as part of the NBA quartet moving from TNT to ESPN this offseason.
Reid will likely have a chance to respond to O’Neal’s anger if he wants as media sessions are held during Kansas City’s offseason practices.
All-time, Kelce has 35 catches for 389 yards and two touchdowns in five Super Bowl appearances, winning three championships.
