As just lately as earlier this fall, some members of the NFL community suggested that Kansas Metropolis Chiefs star tight finish Travis Kelce was distracted and never absolutely dedicated to the trigger amid his sluggish begin to the season and his much-publicized relationship with leisure celebrity Taylor Swift.
Throughout a latest look on the “This Is Soccer” podcast, former Chiefs offensive lineman Kyle Long touched upon how Kelce spends parts of practices by himself engaged on routes forward of video games.
“He would stroll by means of, typically I’d see him over there along with his eyes closed, at perhaps 1 / 4 velocity, going by means of his routes, getting totally different conditions for a Y alternative route, working by means of his footwork,” Lengthy mentioned about Kelce, as shared by Tyler Lauletta of Sports activities Illustrated. “He takes that portion of the psychological sport and pairs it with method. He takes that, and he brings it again to the dwell intervals, and also you watch him work these things. He incrementally ramps it up till Sunday, and what we see on Sunday is a man who makes it look straightforward time and time once more.”
Takes about Kelce’s work ethic hovered over the Chiefs all through the 2023 season as Swift grew to become a fixture at video games. He then silenced any criticisms by recording postseason highs of 32 receptions, 355 receiving yards and three landing grabs (tied with Jake Ferguson of the Dallas Cowboys) throughout 4 playoff video games en path to serving to Kansas Metropolis win Tremendous Bowl LVIII.
ESPN stats present Kelce led the 2024 Chiefs for the common season with 97 receptions, 133 targets and 823 receiving yards. Nonetheless, the actual fact he scored solely three touchdowns had some questioning forward of this previous weekend’s divisional-round sport versus the Houston Texans if he was not the dominant pressure he was in his prime.
Kelce appeared to reply such questions when he tallied seven catches for 117 yards and a rating in a 23-14 win over Houston.
For a chunk produced by ESPN’s Adam Teicher that was printed on Tuesday, former Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith detailed why head coach Andy Reid offers Kelce “an even bigger leash on route working” than some other participant.
“[Reid] empowered Travis to try this, however he earned it. He studied and put in his time and he earned it,” Smith defined. “Take a look at how artful he is at all times been. That solely comes with preparation and work. A number of the stuff he does appears to be like backyard-, recess-type stuff, nevertheless it’s not. There was a way to the insanity. The one means Travis is the participant he’s is as a result of he understands all of the nuances.”
Teicher famous how present Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill mentioned he is routinely quizzed by Kelce throughout practices “about coverages and what he may need seen that led him to defend a specific route a sure means.”
In the meantime, Kansas Metropolis beginning quarterback Patrick Mahomes indicated Kelce is commonly noticed on the Chiefs’ follow facility throughout offseasons though he has embraced quite a few off-the-field business opportunities at this stage of his life.
As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Chiefs as 1.5-point favorites for the upcoming AFC Championship Recreation versus the Buffalo Payments held at Kansas Metropolis’s Arrowhead Stadium. It actually seems like Kelce can be prepared for regardless of the Payments throw at him this coming Sunday.
