{"id":13375,"date":"2026-08-17T14:58:51","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T14:58:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=13375"},"modified":"2026-08-17T14:58:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T14:58:51","slug":"kelce-needs-to-be-more-respectful-travis-kelce-sparked-backlash-over-national-anthem-behavior-as-fans-revive-his-controversial-2017-protest-nfl-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=13375","title":{"rendered":"\u201cKelce needs to be more respectful\u201d: Travis Kelce sparked backlash over national anthem behavior as fans revive his controversial 2017 protest | NFL News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-133290160,imgsize-71790,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/rams-chiefs-football.jpg\" alt=\"\u201cKelce needs to be more respectful\u201d: Travis Kelce sparked backlash over national anthem behavior as fans revive his controversial 2017 protest\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>A moment involving <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/topic\/travis-kelce\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Travis Kelce<\/a> before a Kansas City Chiefs game last year quickly became a talking point far beyond the football field. His animated movements during the national anthem drew criticism from some viewers, while others defended the tight end as simply preparing for the game.<!-- --> The debate became even more striking because of Kelce\u2019s own history with anthem protests, adding another layer to an already polarizing moment.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"5\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Travis Kelce\u2019s national anthem moment sparks criticism<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>The controversy unfolded on October 27, 2025, when the Chiefs hosted the Washington Commanders at Arrowhead Stadium. As the national anthem played, cameras showed Kelce standing with his hand over his chest while repeatedly shifting and bouncing on his feet.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/>The footage, later highlighted by ESPN on TikTok, quickly attracted attention online. <!-- -->Some viewers felt his movements did not match the solemn tone of the anthem. Others saw nothing offensive in what they believed was a player staying loose before kickoff.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"13\"\/>One critic wrote, <span class=\"em\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">&#8220;Kelce needs to be more respectful,&#8221;<\/span> while another called it, <span class=\"em\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">&#8220;Disrespect to the fullest degree.&#8221;<\/span> A third person added, <span class=\"em\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">&#8220;Kelce should of [sic] been more respectful.&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"20\"\/>The criticism also brought an older chapter of Kelce\u2019s career back into the conversation. Some fans pointed to his decision to kneel during the national anthem in 2017, arguing that his latest behavior looked very different from the stance he took years earlier.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"24\"\/><span class=\"em\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">&#8220;DON&#8217;T FORGET, A FEW YEARS AGO KELCE WAS KNEELING DOWN!!!&#8221;<\/span> one commenter wrote.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"27\"\/>Another added, <span class=\"em\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">&#8220;But there was a time when he was kneeling during the anthem, let&#8217;s not forget that,&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"30\"\/>Still, the online reaction was far from unanimous. Several people defended Kelce and focused on the fact that he had his hand over his heart.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"33\"\/><span class=\"em\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">&#8220;At least he had his hand over his heart,&#8221;<\/span> one supporter noted.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"36\"\/>Another viewer offered a more football-focused explanation: <span class=\"em\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">&#8220;He is getting pump up for the game&#8230;i guess you all don&#8217;t understand football [sic].&#8221;<\/span> Someone else simply wrote, <span class=\"em\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">&#8220;He&#8217;s warming up. Nothing wrong with that,&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"41\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Travis Kelce\u2019s 2017 anthem protest adds another layer<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Kelce\u2019s history made the 2025 discussion more complicated. In September 2017, he knelt during the national anthem before a Chiefs game against the Los Angeles Chargers. <!-- -->His decision came during a period when NFL players were increasingly using the anthem as a platform to protest racial injustice and police brutality.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"46\"\/>That earlier action connected Kelce to the movement started by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. At the time, Kelce\u2019s decision carried particular weight because he was one of the league\u2019s most prominent white players to participate in the protests.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"49\"\/>Years later, the contrast between those two moments gave critics fresh material to debate. Yet Kelce himself did not publicly frame his 2025 movements as a political statement.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"51\"\/>Once the game began, the controversy surrounding the anthem quickly gave way to another story. Kelce delivered one of his strongest performances of the 2025 season, catching six passes for 99 yards and a touchdown.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"54\"\/>His third-quarter score was also significant. It was the 83rd touchdown of his career and tied him with Chiefs legend Priest Holmes for the franchise record for total touchdowns at that point.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"57\"\/>With Taylor Swift watching from the stands, Kelce helped Kansas City secure a 28-7 victory over Washington. The win extended the Chiefs\u2019 winning streak to three games after their difficult start to the season.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"59\"\/>The anthem debate may have dominated social media that night, but Kelce ultimately left the field with a performance that gave Chiefs fans something much more positive to remember.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/nfl\/news\/kelce-needs-to-be-more-respectful-travis-kelce-sparked-backlash-over-national-anthem-behavior-as-fans-revive-his-controversial-2017-protest\/articleshow\/133290091.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A moment involving Travis Kelce before a Kansas City Chiefs game last year quickly became a talking point far beyond the football field. His animated movements during the national anthem drew criticism from some viewers, while others defended the tight end as simply preparing for the game. The debate became even more striking because of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13376,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rams-chiefs-football.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rams-chiefs-football.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rams-chiefs-football.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rams-chiefs-football.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rams-chiefs-football.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rams-chiefs-football.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rams-chiefs-football.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rams-chiefs-football.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rams-chiefs-football.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rams-chiefs-football.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rams-chiefs-football.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rams-chiefs-football.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rams-chiefs-football.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rams-chiefs-football.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"A moment involving Travis Kelce before a Kansas City Chiefs game last year quickly became a talking point far beyond the football field. His animated movements during the national anthem drew criticism from some viewers, while others defended the tight end as simply preparing for the game. The debate became even more striking because of [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":2,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":3,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rams-chiefs-football.jpg",400,225,false],"medium":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rams-chiefs-football.jpg",300,169,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rams-chiefs-football.jpg",150,84,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/author\/admin"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-31\">\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13375"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13375\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}