A lot went wrong during the Kansas City Chiefs‘ 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Kansas City was eliminated from the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Patrick Mahomes went down late with a torn ACL. And to pile it on, Travis Kelce declined to speak to the media afterward. That decision, more than the loss itself, split opinions.

“It’s not the time. I’ll catch you guys during the week,” Kelce said, per The Athletic’s Jesse Newell. The comment immediately sparked debate online, with many fans directing their anger at Newell while defending Kelce, arguing that the tight end had just endured one of the roughest days of his career. That’s when the tone shifted. Pete Mundo of KCMO Talk Radio stepped in on X, taking the opposite stance and calling out Kelce for skipping his media responsibilities.

“Travis had a chance to sack up. Season over. QB done. Show some leadership,” Mundo wrote. “He couldn’t do it. And people are ripping Jesse for just REPORTING a fact that Travis won’t talk as if Jesse the bad guy here? Crazy man.”

And this is where the bigger issue comes into play. Win or lose, players are expected to face the media after games. Kelce chose not to, citing the weight of the moment. But this wasn’t a one-off. He was also unavailable following the Chiefs’ 20–10 loss to the Houston Texans. And it’s been a recurring theme at different points this season.

From the fans’ perspective, context matters. Sunday was brutal. Thanks to Sunday’s loss, Travis Kelce will not play in the postseason for the first time since 2014. And watching his quarterback and close friend, Mahomes, go down was clearly a lot to process. Still, Mundo’s point stands in one key way. Kelce is the veteran voice in that locker room, and moments like this often call for accountability.

Instead, Kelce appears more comfortable addressing the season on his own terms, particularly on New Heights with his brother Jason. That choice might make sense emotionally. But it’s also why the conversation hasn’t gone away. The whole matter has sparked debate, and people now have split opinions. But Kelce wasn’t the only one who declined to address the media.

Rashee Rice & Xavier Worthy left the locker room before addressing the media

Just last week, Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown joined Travis Kelce in avoiding the media after a tough loss to the Texans. Fast forward to now, and while Rice remains part of the pattern, Xavier Worthy has entered the conversation. According to The Athletic, both Rice and Worthy slipped out of the locker room following the Chargers’ loss before the doors were even opened to the media.

The reasoning behind Rice and Worthy’s decision isn’t much different from Kelce’s. And considering how the Chiefs’ passing game struggled, it’s not hard to see why the receivers didn’t want to face questions afterward.

Rice finished with seven catches on 11 targets for 51 yards and no touchdowns. Worthy had an even quieter night, hauling in just two of four targets for 35 yards, also without a score. Still, their absence only fueled the debate and left Chris Jones as one of the few voices addressing the media.

“I think we learned a lot along (the way) this year,” Jones said after the game. “And we understand the fact that, in order to be successful, it’s an everyday thing.”

At this point, the Chiefs have three games left on the schedule, but not much left to play for. They’re out of the playoff race, and Mahomes won’t be under center for the remainder of the season. That likely means the final stretch will belong to the backups, starting next weekend when Kansas City faces the Tennessee Titans on the road.