Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is almost single-handedly rewriting the franchise’s record books, but the three-time Super Bowl champion is laser-focused on bringing his team back to the playoffs.
Days after breaking the Chiefs’ all-time touchdown record, Travis, 36, admitted the accomplishment wasn’t as sweet coming in a loss.
“It’s an honor, man,” he told his brother, Jason Kelce, on the Wednesday, November 19 episode of the pair’s “New Heights” podcast. “Obviously, right now it’s soured because it’s coming off a f***ing loss. Our fifth loss of the season. But I got, first of all, so much respect for the organization, so much respect for the guys that have paved the way, not only in the Chiefs organization but in the National Football League, that have made an opportunity for myself to come in and make a living.”
Travis’ record-breaking moment came in the fourth quarter of the Chiefs’ loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday, November 16. His 84th career touchdown gave Kansas City a 19-16 lead before Denver came back to win 22-19. He had tied the record on October 27 against the Washington Commanders, matching Chiefs legend Priest Holmes’ career mark.
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On Wednesday, Travis and Jason looked back at some of the legends in Kansas City history, including Holmes, 52. Travis added that he’s living out his “childhood dreams.”
“Shout-out to Priest Holmes yet again,” Travis said. “We talked about Priest on this show and how much we f***ing loved him when we were kids.”
Though Travis was frustrated enough with his team’s loss on Sunday that he did not meet with the media after the game, he was also able to reflect on the environment that has developed in the locker room.
“I just love coming into work,” he said. “When you come into work with the right mindset and right attitude, and you got a really good coach and a really good quarterback, and you stay long enough, they don’t fire you for 13 years, you start to pile up some stats.”
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“You deserve all the credit in the world for this accomplishment,” Jason, 38, told his brother. “Congratulations to the Big Yeti.”
Jason also defended the Chiefs, who are stuck at 5-5 through 10 games and will need to fight just to make the playoffs, let alone return to the Super Bowl for the fifth time in the last six years. He pointed out that four of Kansas City’s losses have come by one score, meaning one or two plays going the other way could have flipped the outcome. The Chiefs, he said, could just as easily be at the top of the AFC.
Both Kelces even said they would take this year’s Chiefs team over the 2024 team that went 15-2.
Travis ended the talk around his record-breaking game by turning the focus back to his team.
”I’m just a product of my environment and I love Kansas City for it,” he said. “Let’s go ahead and keep adding to that f***ing record baby and score some more touchdowns this year and try to get us into the playoffs this year.”
The Chiefs’ next game is on Sunday, November 23, at home against the Indianapolis Colts.
