Kelce Explains the ‘Chris-O Experience’

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Andy Reid is coming back to coach the Chiefs in 2026, but he’s also eligible for Social Security. That’s probably why he refers to most Kansas City players as kids, as he did with Chris Oladokun this week.

Travis Kelce is not one of those players. At age 36, he could be pulling up those red, gold and white socks for the final time when the Chiefs visit Las Vegas on Sunday (3:25 p.m. CT, CBS/KCTV, Channel 5, 96.5 The Fan). And even though Kelce has 208 more starts than Oladokun, they’re only eight years apart.

“He's an awesome guy,” Kelce said on this week’s edition of New Heights. “He's been on the team for a while now, and finally getting his opportunity to get some NFL experience, man. And it's just fun. You know what it's like? And, honestly, I haven't had this feeling of like seeing a young guy at quarterback living out his dream, just excited to be in the moment.

“Like we would come off the field, and you could just see it, man. This guy was loving every single moment, even through the good or the bad. And it was just awesome to get out there and rock with him, man. I was just proud of the way he handled the situation, handled the moment. Obviously, no turnovers, and just gave us a chance to win at the end.”

No surprises

Oladokun, 28, indeed gave Kansas City that chance in the final seconds last week. And if he had a few more days to prepare, no one in at Chiefs headquarters would’ve been surprised had Oladokun registered the upset.

The quarterback’s confidence and poise are just two of his leadership attributes that Reid, Matt Nagy and Patrick Mahomes have seen since he joined the organization in 2022. He’s been awaiting these NFL starts like a trip to the DMV on a 16th birthday. And he’s thought a lot about life’s timing in recent weeks.

“If I look back,” Oladokun said Wednesday, “and if I was thrust into this spot my rookie year, I'm like, would I be ready? I mean, I'd like to think I was.

“But definitely learning the last four years, and just being in the system, watching Coach Reid, Nags, and just even the guys like Trav that have been here for a long time, see how they go about their business, has really helped me -- on the field and off the field as well. Just being a professional, learning good study habits and things like that.”

travis kelc — Dec 25, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) reacts after making a catch for a first down during the first half against the Denver Broncos at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Kelce habits

He’s learned playing habits from Kelce, who said Wednesday he keeps busy throughout practices by catching passes from all quarterbacks. So, he was familiar with Oladokun’s ball long before the quarterback got his first meaningful snaps this month.

“He throws a good ball,” Kelce said. “And on top of that, man, he's a gamer. He's gonna go out there and he's gonna have some fun. I call it the Chris-O Experience, baby. It’s that Oladokun Experience.

“You don't know what's gonna happen. He's got that exciting play-making ability, because he's a mobile quarterback, and he can get out of the pocket. He keeps his eyes downfield. When he does, he showcases a little bit.”

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