Stephen A. Smith rips Travis Kelce for media criticism

Stephen A. Smith added more fuel to Travis Kelce’s media feud Friday, ripping the Kansas City Chiefs star for criticizing reporters while defending his teammates.

The Chiefs have lost four of six games, and mistakes by the team’s wide receivers have been a factor. Kelce has voiced support for struggling wide receivers Kadarius Toney and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, as they face heavy media pressure.

Those media attacks prompted a strong response from Kelce on his New Heights podcast earlier this week.

“There’s a lot of media pointing fingers on the skill players on our team, I say f*** that,” Kelce said.

Kelce’s strong response sent the star of the Stephen A. Smith Show off on a rant Friday.

“Respectfully, bro you need to stop that s***,” Smith said. “Your receivers have dropped 33 passes this year. 33, dog. 33.”

Then Smith got personal in his attack on Kelce.

“Not even all of those COVID-19 vaccine commercials — with that smile on your face — gonna hide that,” Smith said. “Hell rather than get those vaccine shots, your receivers should get some Velcro attached to their hands so they will catch the damn football. C’mon bro, these are professionals.”

Smith’s comments are unfair to Kelce. The All-Pro tight end is doing the honorable thing, sticking up for his teammates. If he were to throw his fellow receivers under the team bus, Smith and other critics would blast him for being selfish and not supportive.

“I’m not saying that you go out there and publicly throw them under the bus,” Smith said. “But you can’t find some other target [the media]. That ain’t right. We didn’t do that. Ya’ll dropping passes, bro.”

Valdes-Scantling himself earned the ire of the media recently when he flippantly brushed off a reporter’s question about his recent struggles.

The best way for Kelce and the Chiefs to destroy this poisonous storyline is to start winning again.

[SI.com, Photo/Video Credit: Stephen A. Smith on YouTube]