Travis Kelce, equipped with numerous league records and a pair of Super Bowl rings, is already one of the greatest players to ever play the game of football.
His seven-career 1,000-yard seasons are nearly twice as many as any other tight end in NFL history, and his 156 career receptions in the postseason are the most for any player – regardless of position – in the history of the league.
He's also a two-time world champion, but with an opportunity to add another Super Bowl title to his resume in just a few days, Kelce – a surefire future Pro Football Hall of Famer – wasn't very interested in talking about past achievements during the Chiefs' media session on Tuesday.
"I like to say that I'm a product of my environment," Kelce said. "I have an unbelievable head coach, a great coaching staff that puts me in the best positions possible, and a great team and a great quarterback that works their tails off every week."
Kelce is as humble as he is prolific on the football field, consistently deflecting acclaim in favor of recognizing those around him, but it's an undoubtable fact that Kelce's ability – not to mention his unwavering leadership – has helped to create one of the greatest runs of sustained success for any team in NFL history.
The Chiefs are 130-50 in games in which Kelce has played during his brilliant career, and over the last eight seasons specifically, Kansas City has won eight AFC West titles, four conference championships and – of course – two Super Bowls. He has at least six receptions in 99 career games, and unsurprisingly, the Chiefs have won 79 of those contests.
That success has brought along with it the weight of expectations, too, but time and time again, Kelce has seemingly elevated his level of play to match the moment. In fact, over his last two games alone, Kelce has 16 catches for 191 yards and three touchdowns. Eleven of his receptions in that span picked up a first down, and looking at two weeks ago specifically, Kelce hauled in each of the 11 passes thrown his way as Kansas City defeated the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens on the road.
In short, Kelce's performance of late is a testament to not only his immense talent, but also his ability to rise to the occasion.
"That expectation has become a demand at this point. I know that in the years that we haven't won [the Super Bowl] since [2019] have felt like the biggest losses of my life," Kelce said. "It's about having that mentality year in and year out, and putting that expectation on yourself. Nobody has higher expectations for us, than us."
That journey has included countless memories for the 34-year-old Kelce, from five-straight AFC Championship Games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium to two Super Bowl victories, but for Kelce, it may very well be this year's team – and the adversity that it faced during the season – that stands out among the rest.
"I just love this team. I love coming into work every day with these guys…When you go through some ups and downs with people and you make it through the other side, it's a beautiful thing," Kelce said. "You just want it that much more for the person next to you knowing the work that they put in…This year has been its own journey and had its own challenges, but it's really molded itself into one of the best football teams that I've ever been on."
There is only one chapter left to write for this year's team, and while the season was a bit of a rollercoaster at times, the destination remained the same. Kansas City's successive toppling of the Dolphins, Bills and Ravens – the latter two of which on the road – was simply one of the greatest postseason runs in recent memory, but there remains one final adversary standing between the Chiefs and a second-consecutive championship.
It certainly won't be easy, either, as San Francisco has proven itself to be a more than worthy opponent, but for Kelce – a man too focused on the task at hand to entertain any thought of nerves – it's a matter of taking care of business.
"I'm excited for the challenge. I know it's going to be our biggest challenge yet, but there's no doubt seeping in," Kelce said. "We have a great football team, and we're going up against a great football team. It's going to be one for the ages. I'm just excited for it."
