Chiefs undecided on Travis Kelce call as Chris Jones has financial incentive for week 18

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We’ll see a new face behind centre for the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

Andy Reid announced on Wednesday that Blaine Gabbert will start their game against the Los Angeles Chargers with his team locked in as the #3 seed in the AFC.

It will be the first time we see the former first-round draft pick starts for the Chiefs, and the thought of Patrick Mahomes potentially getting hurt is evidently a risk too significant for Reid’s liking.

Last season’s league MVP may not be on the field Sunday, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see other KC star players suiting up.

Added Incentives

Even though Sunday is a nothing game for the Chiefs, there are a few who have something to play for.

Travis Kelce leads the Chiefs in receiving yards and needs just 16 more through the air to reach 1,000 for an eighth consecutive season.

When asked about Kelce potentially playing, Reid simply said, “We’ll see how it all goes”.

Then there’s rookie sensation Rashee Rice, who is 58 receiving yards away from setting a single-season rookie franchise record for most receiving yards, currently at 938.

Meanwhile, 62 yards would get him to 1,000 in his first NFL season.

As for former First-team All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, his reasons for playing on Sunday are purely for financial gain.

Jones has 9.5 sacks in 2023 and, with a half sack against the Chargers, will receive a $1.25 million bonus.

On Wednesday, Jones, Rice, Isiah Pacheco and L’Jarius Sneed all missed practice, and it’s unclear if any of them will play against LA.

Sneed also has a reason to play as he’s looking to make another impression with voters to earn his first Pro Bowl selection and potentially be an All-Pro.

Bench or Start?

The further along a season goes, the harder decisions become, and whatever Reid decides to do, some will say it’s the right move, and others will blame him if it all goes south.

A season ago, Brandon Staley chose to play his starters on the final game of the season and it proved costly.

Mike Williams went down with an injury, missing the Chargers’ epic playoff collapse versus the Jacksonville Jaguars.

That’s a risk Reid will run if he plays Jones, Rice, Sneed, Kelce and company.

On the opposite side, if Reid elects to play his reserves and the Chiefs come out flat in the Wild Card Round, it’ll be easy to say Reid should’ve played them.

If KC had a bye into the Divisional Round, this would be a difficult decision, as having nearly three weeks without game action can leave a player pretty rusty.

Seeing as they face elimination after Sunday’s tilt, I don’t think that’s too long of a layoff for this group.

The reasons for Jones, Kelce and company playing are purely for personal, individual gains and Reid’s always preached a team culture.

Having nearly two weeks off is like preparing for the Super Bowl, so it’s nothing they aren’t used to and let’s face it every contest after Sunday is for the title.

KC need their best available to repeat as champions, so I say put the personal stuff aside and do what’s best for the team.