Mike Florio ,
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With his nine-figure New Heights podcast, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce already has the most lucrative career in sports media. When he retires (most likely after the current season, but who knows?), Kelce likely will be able to name his price for a spot on a pregame show or in a broadcast booth (if he wants either).
The reality that Kelce is currently in the media (and will inevitably have an expanded media presence) isn’t prompting him to help others currently in the media to do their jobs.
Via Jesse Newell of TheAthletic.com, Kelce declined multiple interview requests after Sunday night’s 20-10 loss to the Texans.
All players (except those in the concussion protocol) are required by the NFL to speak to reporters after every game.
It’s not the first time Kelce has declined to talk this year, either after a game or during the week. (All players must be available once during the days preceding each game, at a podium or in the locker room.)
Players have been fined in the past, if/when the failure to comply with media obligations becomes chronic, and if the media covering the team complains about it. Sometimes, the media doesn’t make waves.
Kelce is a first-ball Hall of Famer. He has, in the past, been extremely cooperative with media requests. Apparently poised to retire if the Chiefs had won Super Bowl LIX, he decided to return for another year after the Chiefs fell short. His quotes after games, especially after a loss that could be the final nail in the coffin of the Chiefs’ season, would be interesting and potentially revealing.
The rule applies to all players. While it’s an insult to the reporters covering the game for any player to not speak to them, it’s also a slap at teammates who face the music after all games — good, bad, or ugly.
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