A body language expert has shared their thoughts on Travis Kelce's encounter with his head coach after viewers described it as a 'red flag'.
Kelce was nothing but smiles when he ended the Super Bowl yesterday (11 February), with his Kansas City Chiefs successfully earning the Lombardi Trophy for the second year in a row.
His excitement after the game marked a stark contrast to footage of him earlier on, when the tension of the final sparked what looked to be a heated outburst aimed at Chiefs head coach, 65-year-old Andy Reid.
Footage from the field showed Kelce approaching Reid from the side and grabbing him on the arm, causing the coach to stumble to the side.
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The heated encounter caused concern among fans, with many worrying that Kelce's behavior may be a 'red flag' that his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, should be aware of.
"Travis Kelce's temper is a huge red flag but y'all aren't ready for that conversation," one person commented.
Another wrote: "Taylor Swift should break up with Travis for his temper tantrum."
After watching the footage of Kelce at the game, body language expert Judi James shared her thoughts on what the encounter really says about the tight-end.
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Speaking to UNILAD, James explained that Swift's 'fan-girl' displays at games indicate that she sees Kelce as 'some kind of personal superhero', asking: "How might she feel if she’s watched her guy throw what looks like a major temper tantrum?
"And if the tables were turned and he watched her run off stage to push and scream at a 65-year-old member of her entourage, how would he be feeling?"
"It would at the very least be a book mark moment in any relationship that appeared to have legs in terms of marriage," James continued.
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"Emotions do run high in sports but this off-the-pitch behaviour on an older man who not only does not look like the fittest guy out there but who is also rendered oblivious thanks to his headphones is not a good look."
Addressing Kelce's body language specifically, James said his encounter with Reid suggests 'real anger'.
"The veins on his forehead are bulging, his face looks red and his mouth is wide open, with the jaw dropped as he shouts," she said.
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"He is using an intense eye-stare combined with proximity, i.e his head is right up close to the coach’s.
"He even crouches to manage this proximity with the shorter man. As he shouts his left hand seems to go in towards the coach’s arm, which pushes or renders him off-balance.
"Kelce’s expression looks ugly as he curls his hand into a fist that jiggles at crotch-level and as another player arrives to pull him, he still appears to be shouting as he walks away."
Noting that Swifties often praise Kelce for being a 'true gent' and for being 'protective' of the singer, James went on: "He’s such a big guy he’d need to be playing to the ‘gentle giant’ stereotype rather than a big guy who can lose it at times.
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"Hopefully this was a one-off blip in a sea of solid emotional calm.
"But like all unveiled behaviours during the early days of any serious relationship it’s probably better placed in the file marked ‘new partner profile’ than forgotten about altogether."
Reid himself brushed off the encounter with Kelce in a post-match press conference, where he implied the outburst was evidence of the player's passion for his team.
“The part I love is that he loves to play the game and he wants to help his team win,” Reid said. “It’s not a selfish thing, that’s not what it is, and I understand that. So as much as he bumps into me, I get after him and we understand that.”
Kelce also responded, telling ESPN that he was keeping what was said 'between us' but called Reid 'the greatest coach this game has ever seen', adding that he 'just loved him'.
In spite of fans' concerns about Kelce, Swift made clear that she was still head over heels for the footballer as she embraced him following his win.
Topics: Football, Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift, NFL
Emily Brown