Patrick Mahomes backs Travis Kelce after he punches teammate in practice: ‘Love the fire’

Patrick Mahomes publicly defended Travis Kelce after his altercation with Jack Cochrane during practice.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) and tight end Travis Kelce (87) stretch during the NFL football team’s practice Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)(AP)

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce punched teammate Jack Cochrane during an offseason practice in the 2023-24 season. At the time, quarterback Patrick Mahomes publicly addressed the situation and seemed to defend Kelce for his actions.

How did the scuffle break out?

The incident happened during a Chiefs’ offseason practice two years back. After Kelce caught a touchdown pass from Mahomes, second-year linebacker Cochrane attempted to punch the ball from the tight end, a move that drew little appreciation. In a video that surfaced at the time, viewers could see Kelce go up to and strike Cochrane’s helmet as retaliation for the movie, which prompted the pair to break into a scuffle until cornerback Trent McDuffie stepped into the picture.

Kelce later apologized for the incident in a social media post which read, “Gotta be a better teammate gotta be a better leader… plain and simple”.

Mahomes’s statement

Following the moment going viral at the time, Mahomes passed a public statement defending Kelce’s punch and removing any suspicions of the team going complacent at a time when they were on track to win their third Super Bowl in four seasons.

“I think we all have it. We have a lot of guys out here that are super competitive, but it’s about just doing it the right way. Trav (Travis Kelce) punching the guy, not necessarily the way you want to do it, but you love the fire,” he said. “You love the first on both sides of the ball.”

He further added, “Trying to finish to the last second, but that’s just the type of guys we are. We’re going to compete, we’re going to argue on the football field, and then we’re going to love each other in the locker room. We have a lot of dudes that are super competitive on this team.”

The Chiefs went on to win their second Super Bowl title in a row that year by defeating the San Francisco 49ers.

Current status of the Chiefs

The team’s third win in a row was blocked by the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59 the next year. Cochrane’s run with the red and gold followed through in April when the 26-year-old signed a one-year extension deal worth $2.1 million. 10-time Pro Bowler Kelce will now be playing his 13th NFL season after delivering a disappointing performance last year.

The team is now looking to secure a fourth trip to the Super Bowl in the upcoming season.