Travis Kelce Responds After Lil Wayne Calls Out the “Cheating” Kansas City Chiefs

Tensions flared between rap icon Lil Wayne and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce after Wayne took to social media to accuse the Chiefs of benefitting from referee favoritism during their NFL Divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans on Saturday, January 18. The incident has sparked a lively debate among NFL fans and players alike.

Lil Wayne’s Accusations

Lil Wayne, a passionate football fan and dedicated supporter of the Green Bay Packers, made his grievances known on X (formerly Twitter) during the game.

“I hate the cheating azz chiefs,” Wayne wrote, following it up with, “It’s not even impressive when u cheat and then clearly try to cheat. Just win baby.”

His comments referred to a recurring narrative that the Chiefs, led by star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, have received favorable calls from referees throughout the season. During the fourth quarter of the game, Mahomes was accused of attempting to draw a roughing the passer penalty by exaggerating contact on the sideline, further fueling the controversy.

The Kelce Brothers Respond

On the January 21 episode of their popular podcast, New Heights, Travis Kelce and his brother Jason Kelce addressed Wayne’s remarks. Jason, who plays center for the Philadelphia Eagles, read Wayne’s posts aloud, even poking fun at the rapper’s spelling.

“Spelling ass with two z’s,” Jason joked, earning a laugh from Travis.

Travis, for his part, appeared to take the comments in stride, giving Wayne a shoutout. “Shoutout to Tunechi, man,” he said, referencing Wayne’s nickname.

Jason also highlighted a fan’s post that defended the Chiefs, arguing that the Texans’ defensive lapses, not the referees, were to blame for the outcome.

“The Texans left the all-time leading playoffs receiver wide booty butt nekkid open for 4 quarters,” Jason read. Travis, laughing hysterically, quipped, “They did. They left me butt naked open.”

Travis Kelce’s Performance and “Pleading the Fifth”

Kelce’s contributions in the game were undeniable. The tight end finished with 117 receiving yards and a touchdown, helping the Chiefs secure a 23-14 victory and a spot in the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills. When pressed about the controversial roughing the passer calls, Travis chose to stay diplomatic.

“I’ll plead the fifth on that one,” he said, leaving the debate to others.

Mahomes Addresses the Controversy

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also weighed in on the allegations during an interview with 96.5 The Fan on January 21.

“I’ve kind of learned that no matter what happens during the game, something’s going to come out about it if you win and you continue to win,” Mahomes said. He emphasized that referees are doing their best to make fair calls, but acknowledged that not every decision is perfect.

Mahomes admitted he might have overacted during one particular sideline play. “I probably did too much on the one on the sideline where I didn’t get a flag. The ref saw it and didn’t throw a flag, and I understood it immediately,” he said.

Looking Ahead

The Chiefs are now gearing up for their AFC Championship showdown against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, January 26, at 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS. With emotions running high and controversy swirling, the matchup promises to be a must-watch event.

As for Lil Wayne, he has yet to respond to the Kelce brothers’ remarks, but one thing is clear: the debate over the Chiefs’ perceived favoritism isn’t going away anytime soon.