While Patrick Mahomes remains the engine of Andy Reid’s offense, the renewed spark has come from his most trusted weapon in tight end Travis Kelce. The 36-year-old veteran looks sharper than he has in years, and it’s not by accident.
Kelce made an offseason pledge to prepare like a rookie again. According to the team, he didn’t miss a single summer session, a perfect 1005 for 1005 in workouts and training camp attendance.
His work started in February, when Kelce began trimming weight and focusing on mobility. The transformation caught even his quarterback’s attention.
Mahomes, who spent part of the offseason golfing with his teammate, said he immediately noticed Kelce’s lighter frame.
“You could tell he’d been putting in the work,” Mahomes said, noting that Kelce‘s shirt looked noticeably looser by the time team workouts began in May.
By the time the Chiefs traveled to Brazil for their season opener, it was clear something had changed. The tight end’s movements were quicker, his footwork more fluid, and his energy contagious. Before kickoff, a smiling Kelce told reporters, “I’m feeling young, and I’m feeling ready to rock.”
Kelce turns back the clock on the field
Kelce‘s renewed focus quickly carried over into games. During Kansas City‘s matchup against the Detroit Lions, he delivered one of the most entertaining highlights of the young season.
After catching a dart from Mahomes, the veteran tight end cut left, spun off a defender, and threw a shoulder feint that sent a Lions defender in the wrong direction.
Pumped with adrenaline, Kelce celebrated on the sideline with his trademark enthusiasm.
“Hit they a*** with a Hakeem the Dream,” he shouted, before explaining the move to rookie running back Brashard Smith, using it as a teaching moment about confidence and creativity.
Mahomes couldn’t help but laugh when asked about it later. “Not the shake yet. I’m going to have to learn that one from him,” the quarterback joked, adding that even after years together, Kelce continues to surprise him.
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