Training camps opening around the NFL this week has meant the return of people getting very excited about guys in shorts making plays, the unfortunate reality of camp injuries, and also everyone’s favorite: training camp fights.
No one is immune to tempers flaring in camp as the competitive juices get flowing for the first time in over six months, including the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. During Saturday morning’s open practice session, the Chiefs were doing some red zone work in full pad 11-on-11s when Patrick Mahomes found Travis Kelce for a touchdown, which is far from newsworthy as that happens all the time. However, after Kelce came down with the catch, linebacker Jack Cochrane ran over and tried to strip him late, which the star tight end took exception to, wheeling around and hitting him with a left hook to the helmet, sparking some pushing and shoving — as captured by Nick Roesch of Chiefs Wire.
Mahomes to Kelce, little chirping after the catch pic.twitter.com/kv56jIyiUH
— Nick Roesch (@Nicolas_Roesch) July 29, 2023
Cochrane’s trying to show effort here, but you’ve gotta recognize when it’s the time or place for that and when it’s not. Running into the team’s superstar tight end late, even if not with a big hit, is not the moment for that and Kelce made clear he shouldn’t do it again. You also can tell everyone else on the Chiefs gets it as none of Cochrane’s fellow defenders do anything to Kelce but instead usher Cochrane away from the tight end and diffuse the situation. Showing maximum effort is good in camp, until it isn’t, and coming in late on the team’s second best offensive player is across that line as he learned.
Source: https://uproxx.com/sports/travis-kelce-punch-teammate-chiefs-camp-video/