Travis kelce wasn’t about to risk his health ahead of the NFL postseason – particularly with Derwin James looming in the Los Angeles Chargers secondary.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end opened this week’s episode of his New Heights podcast by addressing his absence from Sunday’s meaningless victory over LA, which he jokingly blamed on the fearsome Chargers safety who famously slammed him into the Arrowhead Stadium turf last season.

Did you want to explain to everybody why you elected not to play in the Chargers game?’ Eagles center and Travis’ brother Jason asked to open Wednesday’s episode.

mean is it not obvious?’ Travis began. ‘You think I was trying to go out there and get f***ing power bombed by Derwin James again? F*** that? You kidding me? That was a bone-rattling hit, man. I’m trying to keep the blood flow going in this thing.’

But when asked, hypothetically, if he had a $1.25 million contract incentive riding on the game, Travis didn’t hesitate to do a 180: ‘I’d have been out there ruling! Sweating my a** off, out there every single play. You couldn’t take me off the field!’