Travis Kelce defends NFL’s touchback rule on fumbles through endzone

One of football’s most controversial rules, the fumble touchback, bit the Kansas City Chiefs in the butt vs. Buffalo. However, Travis and Jason Kelce are still very much in favor of keeping that law the way it is.

With Kansas City up 27-24 and driving to extend their lead, Chiefs wideout Mecole Hardman took a reverse handoff down to the one-yard line but had the football knocked out of his hands by a Buffalo player, causing it to bounce through the end zone and out of bounds. That triggered the fumble touchback rule, which awards offensive fumbles through the end zone as a touchback for the other team, thus giving Buffalos the ball on the 20-yard line going the other way.

When breaking down the play on their podcast, New Heights, Travis Kelce explained to his brother that it was actually his mistake which led to the turnover.

“Dude, I’m not going to lie, man, I owe Mecole a new car or something. I owe so much to him, man,” said Travis.

“Why is that?” responded his older brother, prompting this explanation from Travis:

“My block was the one that knocked the ball out and I’ve been sick. I apologize to him every single time I saw him today and I’ll apologize again. ‘My bad, Mecole, man.’ Yeah, my guy’s just trying to be great and get the ball in the end zone and I’m thinking it’s a speed type — we’re outside, the guy goes inside, you know what I mean.

“He just finished the play better than I did and got a hand on the ball. And man, I owe my guy big time man, and I feel bad for him, man. There’s nothing worse than giving up the ball, especially in a situation.”

Jason chimed in to add, “when your guy causes a fumble, it sucks,” before asking his little brother if he has a different opinion on the fumble touchback rule now that his team suffered the consequence of it.

“We’ve talked about this touchback rule a few times now, being on the side of it, which is side you don’t want to be on. Do you still like the rule that if you fumble…”

Travis came to an immediate defense of the rule. “It’s fine. It’s a rule. Rules are rules,” he said.

“That’s how it works. I’m with you,” responded Jason.

“That’s why I said ‘I owe you big dog, my bad man. That should have never even happened,'” Travis said to wrap up his comments before Jason summed up their position on the rule.

“We’ve been on record. We like the rule and this doesn’t change it at all.’