Travis Kelce: Target on Chiefs’ Back Is ‘Nothing New'
In the NFL, not many franchises are able to brag about making it all the way to the AFC Championship Game four years in a row. Not many also get to gloat about a pair of trips to the Super Bowl and one championship win to boot. The Kansas City Chiefs, however, can stake claim to all of that.
With that said, this level of sustained excellence comes at a cost.
For the past few years, opposing teams have placed a proverbial target on the backs of Kansas City's players. Every week, the Chiefs have been tasked with preparing for each contest knowing that they're going to get the best possible shot from their looming opponent. Iron typically sharpens iron, but it also brings attrition on top of what already arrives in a normal NFL season.
As a result, the Chiefs made plenty of changes during the offseason and are relying on fresh blood to keep their winning ways going. Their conference rivals made concerted efforts to close the gap, but tight end Travis Kelce doesn't think that the AFC arms race being designed to take down Kansas City is anything new.
“I think with our success a lot of teams kind of circle us on their schedule, but that’s what you want," Kelce said. "If you’re not answering the bell every single week, why are we out there? I’m trying to be the best on every single play, every single game, so it’s not new to me to feel like everyone’s ready for my best shot. Or if I’m on the flip side, I know I’m getting everybody’s best shot because of the success that we’ve had. So it’s just – there’s nothing new here. There (are) a few new faces that are going to get a glimpse of that if they haven’t already had that in their career.”
Heading into the 2022 season, the Chiefs are poised to have a difficult road back to not just the Super Bowl, but also merely the conference title game. Top-shelf budding rivals such as the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals can make cases for being as good as or better on paper now than they were a year ago, and trendy picks to make noise — the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens — are brimming with upside. That goes without mentioning a couple of other clubs that aim to contend come December, January and February. The Chiefs will undoubtedly be tested this year.
Andy Reid's offense is going to play a major role in dictating how far Kansas City goes in 2022, and that should stem from a myriad of elements. Among them are the development of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, whether Kelce is able to fight off Father Time and exactly how effective the Chiefs' new pass-catchers will be in their first year on the job. Things will look different without star wideout Tyreek Hill, but Kelce believes that Mahomes and company are in good shape.
"I always felt that Pat (Patrick Mahomes) was very good at getting the ball around to other guys," Kelce said. "Obviously with a guy like Tyreek (Hill), you could have a lot of trust in a guy like that to make big-time plays, especially (in) big-time moments like he has in the past. So, it’s just finding that rhythm of the intentions of the play caller, what we’re seeing on defense and going from there. And just trusting the guys that are in the position, which I have all the faith in. The new faces that we have that are going to be able to be on show this Sunday. It’s going to be fun seeing everybody having fun.”
As his 33rd birthday approaches, Kelce is one of the oldest players on the Chiefs' roster. This is his 10th season in the NFL, and he's cemented his status as an all-time great regardless of what he does or doesn't accomplish moving forward. Many players with his past accomplishments or earnings would be content with coasting a bit at this point. Kelce isn't, though, and he's excited to get the season started. As Sunday's season opener against the Arizona Cardinals draws nearer, he and his teammates will be ready to roll.
"It’s the best part of the year for me," Kelce said. "(We) just get to go out there, new expectations, new team, new identity and we’re fired up because of it. So, just another hack at another year. It’s just exciting."
