ESPN commentator Chris Russo didn’t hold back when discussing Travis Kelce’s decision to skip media interviews following the Kansas City Chiefs’ playoff elimination. Russo addressed the issue on Wednesday, December 17, during an episode of ESPN’s First Take.

“What about Kelce on Sunday afternoon?” Russo, 66, mentioned. “The team just lost a game. Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL. In the game’s final moments, backup quarterback Gardner Minshew attempted a pass to Kelce, aiming for a field goal. It was intercepted. Then, in the locker room, Kelce says, ‘Not today, fellas. I’m not going to talk to you.'”

After the Chiefs’ defeat against the Los Angeles Chargers on December 14, which ended Kansas City’s playoff hopes, the 36-year-old Kelce told reporters, “Sorry guys, it’s not the time. I’ll catch you guys during the week.”

Russo continued, “Wait a minute. Timeout. These reporters have been covering the Chiefs tirelessly, attending every training camp, practice, and preseason game. They’ve devoted themselves for seven months, and you dismiss them at the season’s end, especially when Mahomes is out? It could be your last game with him. You can’t spare a few words? Something like, ‘Tough day for us, I’m uncertain about my future. Hopefully, Pat will be okay.'”

Meanwhile, Kylie Kelce shared her excitement about her daughters finally getting to see their uncle, Travis Kelce, play at Arrowhead Stadium. On the December 18 episode of her “Not Gonna Lie” podcast, Kylie, 33, revealed, “The girls had not yet seen Uncle Trav play at Arrowhead Stadium,” adding a touch of humor to her recollection.

Mahomes, 30, suffered a season-ending torn ACL on the final drive of the game, which puts his status for the start of next season in question. Kelce will be forced to decide if he wants to return for another season, or choose to retire.

Russo chastised Kelce for not speaking to the media after such “a huge moment in Kansas City and NFL history.”

“You blow everybody off walking off the field and you don’t talk to the press and you get in the car?” Russo said. “That is wrong. That is not the way to do things. You give them five minutes. Give them a couple of sentences for the Chiefs fans. Really down on him.”

Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce has already secured his legacy as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to walk away from his NFL career. “I know I’m 34 years old, about to be 35, but I have a love to do this right here in […]

Sunday marked the third time this season Kelce refused to talk to reporters after a loss, instead using his “New Heights” podcast, which he cohosts with his brother Jason Kelce, as a platform to discuss the Chiefs’ disappointing year. 

“Listen, I understand you got your brother and you do the podcast. I get that,” Russo added. “Maybe you want to save the exclusive news. But no serious sports fan listens to that nonsense anyway.”

Indeed, Travis did use this week’s episode of “New Heights” to discuss the Chiefs’ playoff chances dying — and what the final three weeks of the season will look like. 

“We got three games left … the integrity of who you are as a professional, as a player, you gotta love this s***, man,” Travis said on the Wednesday episode of the podcast. “And Chiefs Kingdom, we’re gonna give you everything we got. There’s no question about that,” he told listeners. “There’s only one way I do things, there’s only one way Coach Reid does things, and if we’re gonna go out there and play some football, we’re gonna do it the right way and keep trying to get these things fixed and end on the highest note we can.”