the Kansas City Chiefs prepare for the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, quarterback Patrick Mahomes has nothing but high hopes for tight end (and bestie) Travis Kelce.
“I think it’s just the greats, man. They step up in the playoffs and it’s just higher intensity,” Mahomes said during a Tuesday presser when asked what postseason football means to Kelce. “The best players and the best leaders step up and make the best plays, and he’s done that, and so I expect the same from him going into these playoffs. I think his mentality that he steps on the football field with at practice and on gameday kind of resonates with the entire team and gets everybody to play their best football, and that’s what it takes in order to win championships.”
The quarterback’s comments are coming at the right time. While Kelce will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the league’s great tight ends, his last two seasons have been somewhat lackluster, at least when compared to his past metrics. From 2016 to ’22, the tight end exceeded 1,000 receiving yards, a streak he then broke in 2023 when he opted to rest ahead of the playoffs. He had just five touchdowns last year (which, to be fair, is not nothing) and so far boasts just three for 2024-25, when he has also racked up 823 yards. A lot, of course, but still short of the numbers he was putting up only a few years ago.
Even with the doubts and questions about his age, though, the 35-year-old has stayed adamant that he’s not done with the league just yet. And why would he be? He’s helped lead the Chiefs to four Super Bowl appearances in as many years, and could very likely reach another come February.
And for what it’s worth, Mahomes clearly thinks he has gas in the tank yet, too.