Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce form one of the best duos in NFL history. They’ve won three Super Bowls together and could very well wind up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame together someday.
Mahomes is on his way to end up, at worst, a top-three quarterback of all time, but a lot of his success is owed to Kelce. The 35-year-old tight end is one of the best ever at the position and has been a security blanket for the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback throughout his career.
While Kelce is often praised for his dynamic personality, Mahomes recently revealed how great the Cincinnati product is behind the scenes.
Patrick Mahomes Praises Lesser-Known Qualities of Travis Kelce
In a press conference before the Week 15 game against the Cleveland Browns, the Chiefs’ quarterback highlighted Kelce’s work ethic and how the veteran helped him during his early years in the NFL.
“Everybody sees like the personality on the TV and stuff like that. But you don’t see that everyday work ethic that he has,” said Mahomes, per Sports Illustrated. “I mean, he’s the guy that gets mad when they take him out of practice reps…”
The Chiefs’ quarterback added, “Even for me, to come into the league and have a superstar player and see him work like that, it kind of showed me that I’m gonna have to put that work ethic in if I’m going to get to that level.”
Kelce’s popularity has risen significantly since he started doing a podcast with his brother, Jason Kelce, and started dating Taylor Swift. But he’s still the same person in front of his teammates, and as evidenced by his quarterback’s comments, Kelce’s work ethic remains at the level that inspires other players.
Similar to Kelce, Mahomes has also never let success get to his head. He’s one of the hardest-working players, and all the work he puts in the offseason comes in handy during games.
Mahomes makes ridiculous plays look easy and often doesn’t get the praise he deserves because we’ve grown accustomed to his greatness.
Mahomes has had an absurdly great start to his career. People like Kelce, Andy Reid, and Tyreek Hill have played a huge part in his success, but the 29-year-old quarterback carries himself in a similar way to Tom Brady.
Brady’s first priority was never money, and the same can be said for Mahomes. Both quarterbacks had the luxury of playing under legendary head coaches and with two of the greatest tight ends in the history of the game.
Kelce Could Retire After This Season
Kelce is in the 12th season of his NFL career, and ever since he started dating Swift, there have been growing speculations about his retirement. He’s not as explosive as before, but he’s still producing at a level.
As seen in last season’s playoffs, Kelce can be the best offensive weapon for a stretch of games. But if the Chiefs fulfill their dream of winning three straight Super Bowls this year, there’s a high probability that the star tight end could retire.
Kelce has already achieved everything that a player could in the NFL, and now that he has several things to look forward to off the field, he may step away from football.
Jason Kelce retired after last season and is now enjoying life with his family and covering football with ESPN.
The Chiefs’ star will also have a plethora of offers to become a broadcaster and cover the NFL. Given his age and serious relationship with Swift, we might be seeing the last few games of what has been a legendary career for Kelce.