Kelce Says Signs Were Obvious When Chiefs Visited Seattle

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Neither Cooper Kupp nor Travis Kelce are surprised that the Seahawks are playing in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Kelce, however, knew it was coming well before the Seattle wide receiver.

“You could feel the energy in the f---ing preseason, Coop,” the Chiefs’ tight end told Kupp on Wednesday’s edition of New Heights. “I remember playing you guys in the preseason, and I was sitting there on the sideline, that second half, watching my guys try and battle your guys”

bob — Aug 15, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jake Bobo (19) celebrates following his second touchdown catch against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Looking back at that preseason game

That Aug. 15 battle, primarily for jobs on each club’s 53-man roster. Andy Reid rested most of his starters, including Kelce and Patrick Mahomes. Mike Macdonald played his starters, including Kupp and Sam Darnold.

Kelce has seen or played in 47 preseason games over his 13-year career. But that night stood out. He learned from his sideline perspective the Seahawks were legitimate from top to bottom of the roster, even late into the game.

“Kind of like second- and third-string guys,” Kelce recalled of that second half at Lumen Field, “and I'm just like, ‘This team has the f---ing juice.’ These guys love playing the game of football, and they do it together. And it wasn't just the starters; it was the guys after that. It was all the way through the end of the game, man.

“And when you see guys loving to play the game together, like having that energy, having that excitement, it’s the start of it. And then from there, you obviously have great coaches, great leaders.”

darnol — Aug 15, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) looks to pass against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Kupp's NFC West transition

One of those Seattle leaders, Kupp made a difficult transition look seamless. A former Super Bowl MVP and NFL Offensive Player of the Year with the Rams, he overcame a salary-cap release last spring.

After joining the Seahawks, Kupp said he saw signs of greatness in Macdonald’s team, but it was more of a crockpot recipe than a microwave meal.

kup — Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) embraces Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) after the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

“Obviously, it was a new experience coming over here with the new team and all that,” Kupp told Kelce on the podcast. “But there was a belief early on, it was exactly what Mike Macdonald said up there on that stage, ‘We do not care.’ All the narratives, ‘No, we're going about our business. We're gonna handle our stuff.’ And it was that from Day 1, from OTAs on.

“And this isn't one of those teams, I would have said Day 1, like, ‘Oh yeah, we got all the pieces together to go make this thing happen.’ It was truly like a build, a slow build, of like, ‘Hey, this is coming together and gelling, and the guys are coming together.’ The belief in one another, the camaraderie of just the people. The energy of the locker room is special.”

What would be special is for Kelce to return for a 14th NFL season with the Chiefs. If that happens, Kelce will get to play Kupp because the Seahawks are on the Chiefs’ schedule.

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