Travis Kelce is the NFL’s all-time chief in playoff receptions, however his greatest affect on the AFC Championship Recreation didn’t present up within the field rating.
Down 22-21 early within the fourth quarter, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes snapped the ball from the Buffalo Payments’ 10-yard line, faked a handoff and rolled to his proper.
Because the protection reacted, Mahomes received behind Kelce and adopted the massive tight finish towards the purpose line. Kelce exploded ahead, laying a large lead block on Buffalo security Cole Bishop that pushed the latter into the top zone.
That gave Mahomes sufficient room to attain what proved to be the Chiefs’ ultimate landing of their 32-29 victory.
Kelce completed with two receptions for 19 yards, however as soon as once more, the longer term Corridor of Famer did precisely what was wanted to get Kansas Metropolis again to the Tremendous Bowl.
“Early on in my career, I really wanted to be known as the greatest to ever do it,” Kelce stated Monday on the Tremendous Bowl LIX kickoff in New Orleans. “I think that motivation has changed to just create memories, create a lasting impression on the communities that I’m in, and change the game from where it was when I got in.”
He’s actually achieved all the above.
Kelce, Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid search their fourth championship in six years. These three stay the core of a Chiefs machine that, with a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, would develop into the primary crew in NFL historical past to win three consecutive Tremendous Bowls.
So typically all through that dynasty, Kelce and his historic manufacturing — from the tight finish place, no much less — have been a separator for the Chiefs.
Kelce’s 174 playoff receptions are practically two dozen greater than Jerry Rice’s 151, which rank second in NFL historical past. His 9 playoff video games with no less than 100 receiving yards are additionally essentially the most ever. Kelce’s 2,039 receiving yards within the postseason rank second solely to Rice’s 2,245.
“I think it’s just the greats, man, they step up in the playoffs,” Mahomes stated final month of Kelce. “It’s just higher intensity. The best players and the best leaders step up and make the best plays, and he’s done that.”
At age 35, Kelce not delivers gaudy statistics on a weekly foundation like he did for a lot of his profession. After seven consecutive years with no less than 1,000 receiving yards from 2016-22, Kelce dipped to 984 in 2023 and to 823 this season. His three touchdowns in 2024 marked a profession low.
However Kelce continues to show he has loads left come January and February.
Throughout final 12 months’s championship run, Kelce had no less than 5 catches and no less than 71 receiving yards in every of the Chiefs’ 4 playoff wins. That included a nine-reception, 93-yard efficiency in Kansas Metropolis’s Tremendous Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
This 12 months, Kelce opened the playoffs with seven catches, 117 yards and a landing within the Chiefs’ 23-14 win over the Houston Texans within the divisional spherical.
“Where will I be in three years? Hopefully still playing football,” Kelce stated Monday. “I love doing this. I love coming into work every day. I feel like I still have a lot of good football left in me.”
These feedback got here amid the now-annual hypothesis about when Kelce will retire. It’s a pure query, contemplating Kelce’s age, high-profile relationship with Taylor Swift and the seemingly infinite media alternatives awaiting him.
However Kelce has excelled in balancing his on-field expectations together with his off-field pursuits, making him the preeminent instance of a contemporary athlete.
His weekly “New Heights” present with brother Jason Kelce is among the many most-streamed podcasts within the U.S. In August, it netted a contract price greater than $100 million with Amazon.
Kelce has hosted “Saturday Night Live” and the sport present “Are You Smarter than a Celebrity?” He’s confirmed for a cameo in Netflix’s upcoming “Happy Gilmore 2” starring Adam Sandler.
And he nonetheless discovered time to attend loads of Swift’s Eras Tour live shows, together with stops in Sydney, Singapore, London and Paris. Swift, equally, is a staple at Chiefs video games.
“I better hold up my end of the bargain,” Kelce stated. “If she’s out here being the superstar she is, and never taking no for an answer, and always working her tail off, I better match that energy.”
Vitality shouldn’t be an issue for Kelce with one other championship on the road – or for nevertheless for much longer he decides to play.
“I know I’ve been setting myself up for other opportunities in my life,” Kelce stated. “That’s always been the goal, knowing that football only lasts for so long. You have to find a way to get into another career and another profession. I’ve been doing that in my offseasons, but for the most part, I plan on being a Kansas City Chief and playing football.”
