“We’re teammates first” - Travis Kelce speaks up about the fiery clash between two rookies at training camp.

Kansas City, August 2025 — Training camp in Kansas City is always intense, but this year’s rookie class is taking competition to a new level. Tuesday’s session saw two of the Chiefs’ top newcomers—offensive tackle Josh Simmons and defensive end Ashton Gillotte—get into a heated shoving match that had teammates, coaches, and fans buzzing.

The scuffle didn’t last long, quickly broken up by veteran leaders. But it was enough to spark a conversation throughout the Chiefs’ locker room about the fine line between “competing hard” and “going too far.” And no one captured that sentiment better than All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce.

“Man, I love the fire these rookies are bringing. That’s what you want to see—guys who want to compete every single snap. But hey, at the end of the day, we’re all Chiefs. We’ve got to push each other, not push each other over. Keep that energy, but remember: we’re teammates first,” Kelce said after practice, his trademark grin softening the message but not the meaning.

Coach Andy Reid echoed Kelce’s sentiment, brushing off concerns about the altercation and instead highlighting the “healthy competition” driving the team forward. “Those two are competitive guys, and they get in there and bang it around a little, and I think it’s all healthy,” Reid told reporters. “They’re friends off the field, but they’re both trying to chase a starting spot.”

Inside the Chiefs’ facility, veteran players like Kelce see the scuffle as a good sign for the franchise’s future—a little “edge” is essential for keeping a championship culture alive. “You can’t win in this league if you don’t care,” said one unnamed teammate. “These rookies care. Now they just have to remember, it’s about us versus everybody else—not us versus each other.”

Josh Simmons and Ashton Gillotte, both highly touted draft picks, reportedly shook hands after practice, with coaches emphasizing growth, respect, and unity as the bottom line. “We want that fire,” said defensive captain Nick Bolton. “But we also want guys who’ve got each other’s backs when it matters most.”

As camp continues, Chiefs fans can rest easy knowing the next generation of stars is hungry for greatness—so long as they remember, as Kelce put it, “we’re teammates first.”