Travis Kelce on His 'Fresh Legs' and Playoff Wisdom for Young Teammates

After a massive performance in the divisional round, Travis Kelce isn't expecting to slow down in the AFC championship game.

Jan 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) reacts after a pass reception for a touchdown against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter of a 2025 AFC divisional round game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

In the Kansas City Chiefs' divisional round win over the Houston Texans, the Chiefs saw "Playoff Trav" return as 35-year-old tight end Travis Kelce turned back the clock as the team's leading weapon when the playoffs arrived.

Now, with the AFC championship on the horizon, Kelce and the Chiefs will attempt to bring their best as they face off with the Buffalo Bills for the right to advance to Super Bowl LIX.

On Friday, Kelce spoke to members of the media and was asked if he felt refreshed after Kansas City's long pre-playoff break and what playoff energy feels like for him and his teammates.

"It's something you've got to build together," Kelce said. "I think it brings everybody closer together in the building. You get that time off, but everybody's working their tail off leading up to these big moments and these big games. I was joking with everybody, man, I was wishing the season would just fast-forward when we're in November. I wanted to start playing meaningful competition, and it's just so much fun being in here with a coach like Andy Reid who lets everybody show their personalities, and it really just bonds everybody a little bit tighter."

Could Kelce feel the benefit of the rest when the Texans game arrived, as opposed to how his legs felt at the end of the regular season?

"When I'm out there, I'm running at full speed, but I guess some of the broken tackles, you could say I had some more fresh legs than typical," Kelce said.

Now in his seventh-consecutive AFC championship game, what message is Kelce sending to his teammates this week?

"Don't let the lights blind you," Kelce said. "It's a big moment, you're going to hype it up yourself because you've been dreaming about moments like these, and the biggest thing is that you're good enough. You don't got to be anybody that you're not. You don't got to force yourself to be greater than who you are. We work our tails off to be exactly who we are, and now it's time to go out there, have fun and just cut it loose. Don't let the lights shorten your steps or stutter your feet."

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