Chiefs Star Travis Kelce Happy to Play Bengals Early in Season

CINCINNATI — Travis Kelce is happy the Chiefs are hosting the Bengals early in the 2024 season, rather than playing them late in the year before the playoffs.

The Bengals play the Chiefs in Week 2 in Kansas City.

“I do like playing the potential top teams in the league early,” Kelce said on the New Heights podcast. “I’d rather play them early or like midseason. I don’t like playing at the end of season outside of the division. I just feel like it’s too close to the playoffs and if I have a chance to play them in the playoffs, I want to keep that game fresh. I feel like we’ve always played the Bengals in December or January. In my head, I’m like, ‘Man, I really just want to save the game and the excitement and the hype of that game for the playoffs.'"

The Bengals have played the Chiefs late in the year in each of the past three seasons. They met again in the AFC Championship Game at the conclusion of the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

“It’s cool that this year we play the Ravens early, we play the Bengals early, and those are going to be two of the best teams in the NFL," Kelce said. "So I’m excited, and it gets those two under our belt and kind of gives us somewhere to kind of gauge where we are amongst those teams early on. I like to see where I’m at and see what direction I need to go right now, if that makes sense.”

Check out the New Heights podcast here. For the Bengals' entire 2024 schedule, go here.

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