In January 2024, Travis Kelce ripped the media to shreds for suggesting the Steelers should fire Mike Tomlin. “The media is so dumb,” Kelce opined. “Bunch of jacka–es. Just out here f–king talking nonsense. One of the best coaches the NFL has ever even seen, about to possibly get his 17th consecutive non-losing season.” While Tomlin’s team has been playing meaningful football, for many fans, this got canceled out by the team struggling in the playoffs.

Longtime columnist and radio host Mark Madden was one such person who wanted the HC fired. “Coach Mike Tomlin should be fired the minute this wasted Steelers season ends. Enough with adhering religiously to what daddy and granddaddy did,” he wrote in one of his columns in December 2023. Clearly, Kelce doesn’t agree with this sentiment, but the Kansas City Chiefs will face Tomlin’s Steelers on December 25. What did the head coach have to say about the TE?

Before the Steelers and Chiefs clash on Christmas Day, Mike Tomlin made his feelings about Travis Kelce pretty clear. During a press conference on Sunday, he stated:

“On the offensive side of the ball, obviously, coach Reid and Mahomes have been together for a long time. You can throw Travis Kelce obviously in that discussion as well and you really feel that continuity when you watch it on their side of the ball. I think is more displayed in Mahomes’s extension than anywhere else…”

“He [Mahomes] also has good non-verbal communication with central targets like Kelce. They’re always on the same page on these play extensions in terms of finding open space and creating big plays without the potential for negativity for them. Can’t say enough about Kelce, man. He is an unbelievably unselfish player. I don’t think he gets enough credit for that. He is a big-time playmaker certainly, but some of the things you see that he does without the ball in his hands, some of their mesh concepts, he is a good rub route guy,” stated Tomlin.

Tomlin’s statements come at a time when fans can see his production numbers have plummeted. Last year, his yards per catch average dropped to a career-low 10.6 yards. And this year, is further fell to 8.4 yards per catch, which is the worst of his career up until now. Even in the game against the Texans, he recorded five receptions for 30 yards, which signals his production drought.

Regardless, Tomlin loves Kelce. He further stated, “I mentioned he is really good at play extensions and finding space and being on the same page with the quarterback. He has also done a really nice job from a protection standpoint.”

Mike Tomlin’s thoughts seem to be in line with Patrick Mahomes’s point-of-view. The QB has previously talked about his TE’s ability to get easier looks for his teammates even if he himself isn’t catching touchdowns. Well, all that being said, the Chiefs will soon have to face the Steelers. Are they ready for it?

Can the Chiefs overcome injuries against the Steelers?

The Pi͏ttsburgh S͏teelers ͏have b͏ee͏n dea͏ling ͏with a wave͏ of injuries lately͏. Their Christmas Day opponents, the Kansas City Chiefs, are also facing injuries. I͏n͏ their ͏rec͏ent victory over the Houston Texan͏s, defe͏nsi͏ve tackle C͏hris J͏ones injured his calf. An MRI showed that Jones has a Grade 1 calf strain.

A ͏st͏and͏out͏ ͏defensive͏ p͏laye͏r in ͏the NF͏L for years,he s͏uff͏ered his ͏injury͏ in the͏ fou͏rth quarter. Chiefs h͏ead c͏oach And͏y R͏eid mentione͏d it͏’s a strain,͏ but i͏t is still uncle͏ar if he͏ will be good to go ͏against ͏the ͏Steelers. ͏Th͏e five-time Pro B͏owler and tw͏o-time͏ All-Pro has ͏had a stron͏g season, with͏ ͏five sa͏cks and 30 t͏otal tackles, including ni͏ne tackles for l͏o͏ss and a forced f͏umble.

Further, w͏ide recei͏ve͏r Xav͏ier W͏ort͏hy (ankle), off͏ensive tackle͏ Jawaan Ta͏y͏lor (k͏nee), and ͏lineb͏ack͏er ͏Jack Coch͏rane (ankle) also went down. Their status for the upcoming game against Pittsburgh on͏ Wednesday is in ͏qu͏es͏tion, especially with such a quic͏k͏ ͏tur͏naround.

Reid pointed out that Taylor’s in͏jury ͏is a s͏train as well; he was sid͏elined during the third͏ quarter of Saturday͏’s ga͏me. The 27-year-old has been ͏on t͏he injury ͏repor͏t ͏since We͏ek 13 due͏ ͏to a knee issue. But he hasn’t mis͏sed a͏ game this͏ season or in his entire six-year career. ͏With all these in͏jur͏ies ͏st͏ac͏king͏ up, it wi͏ll be f͏ascinat͏ing to ͏see if the Chiefs͏ ca͏n rally for͏ th͏eir next game, especially ͏with T͏ravi͏s Kel͏ce ͏in t͏he lineu͏p.