Tight end Travis Kelce has never been shy about making his voice heard inside the Kansas City Chiefs’ locker room — and as the team navigates the most challenging start of the Patrick Mahomes era, the veteran still believes the team has everything it needs to finish strong.
Despite their 5-5 record, the superstar tight doubled down on recent comments he made during his “New Heights” podcast that this year’s team would beat last year’s Super Bowl squad — pointing to something deeper than production or standings.
“I just think the chemistry, how together we are, how much we’re willing to fight for each other — it’s not a matter of effort, it’s all just execution,” Kelce told local media on Friday. “We’re in here every single day grinding our tails off, trying to get that fixed. The coaches are tightening things up a little bit so that we focus on those details and play fast — and play with a purpose.”
The numbers support what Kelce was saying. With their full assortment of offensive playmakers now available to them this season, Kansas City is averaging 375.8 total yards of offense per game, up from 343.3 yards per game last season. That includes 248.9 passing yards and 115.3 rushing yards per game.
The problem? This improved production hasn’t translated into wins. Close-game losses and inconsistent execution have kept Kansas City from capitalizing on the things that are working better. Kelce understands these bumps have felt steeper — especially for young players who haven’t yet faced this type of adversity.
“Not to say that these guys don’t know how to fight through anything,” he explained, “it’s just you have to understand that every single season is different.”
It’s the kind of thing that you can only learn from experience.
“You’ve got to find ways to fight through that,” he said. “The energy may be different [when] dealing with adversity in previous years than it is this year. You’ve just got to make sure that you’re coming into the building with the right mindset. If losses do pile up on you, you’ve got to have a sense of urgency — [to] not go into a shell, but come in chest up and ready to handle business.”
After last season’s 15-2 finish — the best in franchise history — opponents are pulling out all the stops against the Chiefs, which is forcing the offense to adapt even more than usual.
“We’re getting a different version of every team’s defense, for sure,” Kelce observed. “It’s just how teams feel they need to attack us defensively. We’re a veteran group on the offensive side — in terms of quarterback Patrick Mahomes being able to do it and head coach Andy Reid’s ability to scheme guys up. We’re getting different looks here and there, but the coaches are doing a great job of giving us looks throughout the week that have us prepared for anything — and giving us plays that we can go out there and make happen no matter what they’re calling.”
For Kelce, belief isn’t rooted in blind hope. It’s grounded in the team’s leadership — and the understanding that the toughest stretches often create the strongest groups. With the offense generating more yards than a year ago, a defense that is doing its part and a locker room that remains united, Kelce believes the best version of the team hasn’t yet taken the field.
“I’m excited every single day we come into this building,” he insisted. “There’s still a chance. I’m fighting, man — and I think right now it’s a different season than we’ve had since I can remember.
“Every single day is a new challenge — and I love that. I love that opportunity. [The Colts are] a great football team that’s playing amazing on both offense and defense. They’ve got a great run game, pass game, playmakers all over the field. Defensively they’re very stout, and they’re getting one of our ex-Super Bowl winners — cornerback Charvarius Ward — back this week, so it’s only going to make our job a little bit harder.
“We’ve just got to focus. I’ve got all the faith in the world in everybody in this building going out there and finding a way to get a win this weekend.”
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