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Adam Teicher, ESPN Staff Writer
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce said on social media Saturday that he needed to be a better leader following two incidents in which he got into physical altercations with a teammate during practice.
Gotta be a better teammate gotta be a better leader… plain and simple
— Travis Kelce (@tkelce) July 29, 2023
Kelce threw a left-handed punch at backup linebacker Jack Cochrane in Saturday’s practice. A day earlier, he got into a shoving match with backup cornerback Dicaprio Bootle.
Each time, the defender was attempting to pry the ball from Kelce at the end of the play. Each scuffle was broken up by teammates.
Fights between players are unusual at Chiefs practice under coach Andy Reid. He said after Friday’s incident he makes a point with the players to discourage it.
“Fighting is a waste of time,” Reid said. “You get thrown out of games doing it, you get hurt out here doing it. But they’re going to jaw. It’s hot, humid. They’re going to jaw a little bit. Just as long as there are not punches thrown, we’re all right.”
Kelce has acknowledged his inability at times to control his emotions, mostly earlier in his career. He was penalized several times for unsportsmanlike conduct and in 2016 was ejected from a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars for tossing a towel at the referee after he was called for a penalty.