Travis Kelce drew the admiration of NFL fans after refusing to blame the Kansas City Chiefs' officiating loss Sunday night.
The Chiefs suffered a shocking 27-19 loss to the Packers as Taylor Swift watched her NFL boyfriend suffer defeat for the first time in frigid Green Bay.
However, the game, which marked the fourth loss of the season for the reigning Super Bowl Champions, ended in controversy when Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes attempted a Hail Mary in search of the touchdown Kansas City needed to potentially tie the game.
Kelce, who was among the group of players in the end zone, appeared to be pushed in the back by Packers' Jonathan Owens – Simone Biles' husband – but none of the officials felt a flag was warranted and Green Bay took the win.
But after the game, the tight end refused to get carried away with blaming the officials when reporters in the locker room asked him what he thought about the officials not making a pass interference call on the play.
Travis Kelce (left) and the Chiefs suffered their first loss to Taylor Swift (second right)
Kelce was involved in some late drama after it emerged he was pushed on the final play of the game
Kelce drew the admiration of NFL fans after refusing to blame the referee
“I'm not going to blame anyone but ourselves for this,” the two-time Super Bowl winner said as he took the main road.
NFL fans loved Kelce's response, praising the 34-year-old for his “classy” response on social media.
“I'm outraged by the terrible performance, but blaming the referees is what losers do,” said a user on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Another added, “He seems so sad but he's so classy and respectful here that it physically hurts me to see this #Chiefs #TravisKelce.”
'I wish his fans were as smart as he is. Some respect for him,” another posted.
Others praised Kelce's mentality after the loss, claiming he set a good example for his younger teammates.
'This is the right mentality. Thanks Kelce,” said one fan, while another echoed the sentiment, adding, “It's the right mentality to have. They just need to get better, which I know they can and are. The Chiefs need a huge wake-up call.”
Social media users praised Kelce for his mentality and professionalism after his response
Others, however, while pleased with Kelce's professionalism, still believed the officiating officer deserved criticism.
“I appreciate his professionalism… it's a great example for all the young players on the team… but that missed PI call at the end of the game was pretty BAD,” one person wrote.
Another added: “That's big coming from Travis but the officiating was terrible.”
Kelce collected 81 yards on four receptions – his fourth-best return of the season. But the defending Super Bowl champions have now fallen behind three other teams in the race for the AFC's top playoff seed.