Chiefs News: Travis Kelce feels ready for 2024

A yr could make an enormous distinction within the NFL.

Because the Kansas City Chiefs fell to the Detroit Lions to open the 2023 season, star tight finish Travis Kelce watched from the sideline after injuring his knee in follow main as much as the sport.

By profitable their second Super Bowl in as many seasons, the Chiefs will once more open the season on Thursday towards the Baltimore Ravens. After lacking final yr’s kickoff recreation, the league’s arguably most well-known non-quarterback just isn’t taking this showcase with no consideration.

“I’m endlessly lucky,” Kelce stated to reporters after Tuesday’s follow, “to have the ability to play as many video games as I’ve performed already on this league. That’s why I actually get pleasure from going on the market each single day, even when it’s only a follow, to actually work on my craft as a result of I do know not everyone will get that very same fortune of their profession. I’m able to rock Week 1, and I’m grateful for it.”

Kelce believes he has discovered the best steadiness to maintain his physique wholesome after being restricted by harm to start out final season.

“Bodily,” he defined, “I really feel simply pretty much as good, if no more prepared, than I’ve been in years previous. Simply since you get extra comfy together with your physique, you study issues from you from the errors you made within the years previous and issues like that. You simply always maintain getting higher and maintain getting extra conscious of the place your physique’s at.”

Well being just isn’t the one means Kelce feels extra ready than earlier in his profession as he enters his thirteenth skilled season.

“Utterly completely different,” he declared of his veteran understanding of the nuances of the game. “You’re simply extra comfy, extra conscious the system, [and] the routines. You are feeling such as you get simply that rather more of a heads up — otherwise you’re type of extra superior by way of understanding scheme and issues like that and simply the way you’re presupposed to assault your opponent.”

Photograph by David Eulitt/Getty Photographs

Kelce admits that unexpected well being points might trigger him to vary his seasonal routine.

“We’ll see what challenges happen all through the season,” he predicted. I feel I’ve caught a very good routine and a very good groove of constructing positive that I’m at peak athletic capacity to go on the market and carry out each single week. You simply by no means know the nicks and the bumps and bruises that you simply get all through the season. You may need to select up one thing new alongside the best way.”

Even after final yr’s well being scare, Kelce claims the Chiefs haven’t talked to him a few diminished position to delay his profession. Doing so would possible be a fruitless endeavor.

“No,” he confirmed. “I in all probability wouldn’t take heed to them in the event that they did.”

Finally, what offensive weapon would need to restrict their time paired with the league’s greatest quarterback in Patrick Mahomes? The connection between the 2 has been nicely documented over the past half-decade.

Photograph by David Eulitt/Getty Photographs

“It’s the day-to-day stuff,” Kelce famous, “that makes it enjoyable while you’re within the constructing with Pat Mahomes. He exhibits up, and he has a very good time doing it — week in, week out, day in, day trip. That’s the kind of man you need to are available to work with,”

In his remarks Tuesday, Kelce careworn that it’s greater than being round Mahomes that makes him love taking part in for the Chiefs.

“It’s simply enjoyable constructing these relationships all through the constructing,” stated Kelce. “Clearly, Pat is the one you guys see for probably the most half. However there’s a bunch of men and girls on this constructing that I maintain pricey, and I deal with them like household. It’s due to simply the kind of people who the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs have been ready to herald.”

Kelce’s management has lengthy been cited by his teammates as serving to them address troublesome stretches of the season. The tight finish recalled phrases from his faculty coach at Cincinnati to elaborate his mindset in motivating his friends.

“What you’ve bought to grasp,” Kelce careworn, “is the objective and the workforce’s mindset is larger than you, and everyone wants you to be at your greatest. My faculty coach Butch Jones at all times advised me that you simply’re a fountain or drain, child. You don’t need to be draining anyone out right here, man. Give individuals life.”