“Dragged off the pitch”: Andy Reid reveals why he had to force Travis Kelce to stop training

T ravis Kelce is heading into his 14th NFL season at an age when most players are already long removed from the grind of training camp.

Yet, according to Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid , the veteran tight end has been so determined to keep working that coaches have actually had to step in and make him stop.

As Kansas City brought its 2026 training camp to a close on August 20, Reid highlighted Kelce's remarkable approach to preparation.

Rather than needing encouragement to increase his workload, the 36-year-old apparently required the opposite.

“You have examples like Kelce ; he’s the oldest guy on the team and came out every day and worked to where you had to yank him out of there to give him a breather,” Reid said to reporters after practice.

The comment offers a revealing picture of Kelce's mindset as he prepares for another season with the Chiefs . He is the oldest player on the roster, but Reid's description suggests that age has not diminished his desire to compete.

Reports from the conclusion of camp have similarly portrayed Kelce as one of the veterans setting the tone for a relatively young Kansas City roster.

Linebacker Nick Bolton was particularly impressed by the example being set by the future Hall of Famer.

“There’s no excuses when you have the old guy out there running routes and stuff like that,” Bolton said. ” Been fun to watch [Kelce] work.”

That mentality could be particularly important for the Chiefs as they attempt to rebound from a disappointing 2025 campaign.

Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes were held out of Kansas City's preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams on August 15, a 20-12 defeat, as the coaching staff concentrated on evaluating younger players.

But sitting out a preseason game clearly did not mean Kelce was easing off during camp.

Kelce's workload comes against a backdrop of retirement questions

The intensity is especially notable because Kelce's future has been one of the recurring storylines surrounding the Chiefs over the past couple of seasons.

At 36, he is entering his 14th NFL campaign, and there have been multiple moments when retirement appeared to be a realistic possibility.

Reid has repeatedly acknowledged that Kelce cannot continue playing indefinitely while simultaneously expressing his desire to see the tight end remain in Kansas City .

“You hope he plays forever, but that’s probably not gonna happen to any of us.” Reid said. “So whenever he decides to hang it up, he’s built a great legacy here. And if he decides this is it, it’s it. If not, more power to him.”

Kelce , however, made it clear during the offseason that he still believed he had unfinished business.

“I know I’m getting older, but at the same time I still feel like I got a lot that I can prove in this league. It really wasn’t that hard of a decision for me.” Travis said.

“Last year I think I failed especially in that last game, in being a leader and being the one that can step up and make plays.”

His recent work in camp appears to back up that declaration.

The statistics from the previous two seasons do provide some reason for questions about how much longer Kelce can operate at his peak. He recorded 823 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2024, followed by 851 yards and five touchdowns in 2025.

The latter represented a modest improvement, but it was still his third consecutive season below 1,000 yards after he had surpassed that mark seven years in a row from 2016 through 2022.

Even so, Kelce remained heavily involved in Kansas City's offense last season, playing all 17 games and leading the Chiefs in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

That combination, declining production but an undiminished work ethic, makes the upcoming season particularly intriguing.

Kelce is not being asked to prove that he can become the player he was during his statistical peak. Instead, the challenge is whether his experience, football intelligence and connection with Mahomes can continue to make him a central part of the Chiefs ' offense.

The relationship between Kelce and Mahomes will again be crucial. The pair have developed one of the NFL's most productive quarterback-tight end partnerships, and Mahomes' return from his 2025 injury adds another layer to Kansas City's preparations.

For Kelce, meanwhile, the immediate message from Reid is simple: sometimes the biggest challenge is knowing when to stop.

At an age when recovery is increasingly important, having to be “yank[ed]” from practice is hardly a criticism. If anything, it demonstrates how seriously Kelce is approaching what could be one of the final chapters of his extraordinary career.

Kansas City will ultimately need to balance that enthusiasm with preservation. The Chiefs do not need Kelce to win training-camp competitions. They need him healthy and productive when the regular season arrives.

For now, though, Reid's comments suggest the veteran tight end has no intention of coasting toward the finish line.