Travis Kelce is self-aware enough to know he's not very well-liked in New England.
But his reasoning for why Patriots fans don't like him may have you questioning that self-awareness.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end recently joined Adam Lefkoe on Bleacher Report's "The Lefkoe Show" to discuss the Patriots-Chiefs rivalry and had this to say about his reputation in New England:
Download the MyTeams app for the latest Patriots news and analysis
"Pats fans, for whatever reason, just hated me for being a white tight end wearing 87. Like, if I would have had on 84, none of this would have ever been talked about. But because I wore 87, all of a sudden the Pats nation absolutely hated me."
So, Patriots fans don't like Kelce simply because he wears the same number as ex-Pats tight end Rob Gronkowski. Not because he's a glorified wide receiver who seemingly values touchdown celebrations over blocking, once complained about the NFL's overtime rules after the Patriots beat Kansas City in the 2018 AFC Championship Game or stars in his own cringeworthy reality TV show.
Checks out.
New England Patriots
Find the latest New England Patriots news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
Kelce has invited Gronkowski comparisons in recent years while putting up prolific receiving numbers -- four straight seasons of at least 80 catches and 1,000 yards -- and the fact that some believe Kelce is a more prolific pass-catcher than Gronk probably rankles some Patriots fans.
Listen and subscribe to Tom E. Curran's Patriots Talk Podcast:
Something tells us the animosity for Kelce won't magically disappear if he shows up to Chiefs training camp wearing No. 84, though.
Kelce also discussed the nature of the Patriots-Chiefs rivalry, which he believes starts at the head coach level between Bill Belichick and Andy Reid.
That "rivalry" is tilting in Kansas City's favor, as the Chiefs are coming off a Super Bowl victory and should be heavily favored when they visit New England in Week 4. At least Patriots fans can let Kelce know how they feel about him, though.