Nearly two weeks have passed since Super Bowl LIX, and the celebration of the Philadelphia Eagles’ 40-22 win over Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs is still going.
The Eagles couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game, opening on a 34-0 run through nearly three-quarters of action. During the dominating performance, fans could see Chiefs players notably frustrated on the field and the sideline, and Kelce was no exception.
Amid the blowout, Kelce and Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson got into it with one another. After a Patrick Mahomes pass intended for his tight end fell incomplete, Gardner-Johnson still popped Kelce in the back. The former Cincinnati Bearcats star took exception to this, getting up quickly and walking right toward the safety before bumping into him
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
This led to Kelce having some words with a few other Philadelphia defenders, including Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis.
On Wednesday, 10 days after the Super Bowl, Gardner-Johnson joined “NFL Digest” to discuss the Eagles’ win. He went on to reveal what he told Kelce during the game but also mentioned that there wasn’t really any beef between the two.
“Second quarter, I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s scared of us,'” Gardner-Johnson said. “The stadium was 95% Eagles fans… The whole Kelce situation, I said that to him on the field, and he looked at me like, ‘Ain’t nobody talk to him ever…’ I don’t know if it’s smoke, but let me know… I ain’t ducking.”
Kelce finished the game with four catches for 39 yards. But, just like the Chiefs, he put up zeros across the stat sheet in the first half. Gardner-Johnson, on the other hand, tallied three tackles. He also remains one of the lone Philadelphia defensive starters from Super Bowl LVII, although he did have a stint with the Lions in 2023.
Despite Gardner-Johnson claiming there is no beef, that hasn’t stopped him from taking shots at Kelce after the Super Bowl. He notably posted a photo of the incident on social media, using the caption “Should have stayed with that thick [expletive],” taking a shot at Taylor Swift. Even at the Super Bowl parade, he was still going at the couple with a hoodie that read, “Swifties can LIX my [expletive].”
