Getty Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce at the Pro Bowl on February 6, 2022.
The Kansas City Chiefs schedule may not be set in stone but the opponents have been known for quite some time.
Apparently, certain teams already have their matchup with KC circled and San Francisco 49ers safety Jimmie Ward couldn’t help but look ahead to the 2022 Super Bowl rematch and another head-to-head opportunity against Travis Kelce.
“I’m looking forward to that matchup with Travis Kelce, please somebody go and tell him I said it.”
#49ers Jimmie Ward via IG Live
Ward took to Instagram Live to make the comments and a portion of them was tweeted out by The SF Niners. “I’m looking forward to that matchup with Kelce, please somebody go and tell him I said it,” the Twitter account relayed, but the smack talk went a little further than that.
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Ward Challenges Kelce to Do What 2021 Tight Ends Couldn’t
Courtesy of The SF Niners on YouTube, the clip is available for your viewing purposes above. Here was the full quote from Ward directed at Kelce.
I’m looking forward to that matchup with Kelce too, I’m looking forward to that matchup with Kelce. Please somebody go and tell him I said it. I’m looking forward, I can’t wait! I can’t wait till that matchup. Oh, remember all that s*** I was talking too, in the season I was telling you a tight end won’t get over 50 yards over me… some of y’all [were] like — oh, you’re not that guy. Yeah, okay, aight. I know I ain’t, but did a tight end get over 50 yards on me? Matter fact, did they even try to throw the ball to the tight end when I was covering? No sir, no sir, no ma’am.
Earlier in the video, Ward noted that he wished he could “catch Tyreek” Hill with a tackle. He added: “I would put that boy to sleep.”
Ward may not be a household name around the league but he’s one of the more consistent safeties in all of football. Fellow safety Tony Jefferson went one step further in his defense on February 24, calling the Niner “one [of] the most under-rated players in the game.”
“If you turn on the tape and watch him play he’s clearly a top defensive player in this league. He is an ALL-PRO player. Doesn’t get talked about enough, much respect #1,” voiced Jefferson.
The retweet also shared thoughts from 49ers fan Coach Yac, who posted some of Ward’s 2021 statistics. His numbers were very impressive, including “16 receiving yards” against per game and a “56.8 passer rating against.” He only allowed one touchdown and managed three interceptions.
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Don’t Sleep on Kelce
Even if Ward’s hype is warranted and backed up on the field, he shouldn’t forget who he’s talking about either.
Kelce may be getting older but he’s still a future Hall of Fame tight end that should go down as the best receiving threat to ever play the position. He currently has 810 career receptions and almost 10,300 yards receiving (regular season plus playoffs). That includes 545 first downs through the air (five rushing) and 72 total touchdowns.
The superstar talent has also had over 1,000 yards in six consecutive seasons and has not missed the Pro Bowl since 2015. Don’t forget his three first-team All-Pro awards and that shiny Super Bowl ring that came against Ward’s 49ers.
To his credit, the safety was San Francisco’s leading tackler in the 2019 title game but Kelce scored a receiving touchdown too, catching all six of his targets for 43 yards.
That should set the stage for a fun 2022 rematch and while we aren’t doubting your ability, Jimmie, we’ll back our guy any day of the week. If you wanted the attention of Chiefs Kingdom, you got it. Good luck with the results.