Arrowhead Pride
For the 12th time and in his 13th season, Travis Kelce has made his home in St. Joseph, Missouri, on the campus of Missouri Western State University. Kelce’s life looks much different now than in Year 1.
Widely regarded as a “future Pro Football Hall of Famer,” the tight end’s IMDb page has begun to fill, most recently with Happy Gilmore 2. The “New Heights” podcast he shares with his brother, Jason, has 2.5 million subscribers — and his ongoing relationship with the world’s biggest pop star has bred a level of fame he surely never imagined.
Yet, there he stood in front of media members on Wednesday after his 13th practice, content to be one of the guys with February dreams.
[We’re] trying to win Super Bowls, man,“ said Kelce. ”[Working hard is] the only way you get there. I think it starts in the offseason, and when you get out here to St. Joe and you get into training camp, it really signifies coming together — the chemistry, the culture that you need to have to keep getting better every single day, every single week throughout the year, and hopefully playing your best football by December, January, and February.“
Due to inclement weather on Wednesday, the Chiefs were forced to move practice into the indoor facility, providing a break from what on some days has been uncomfortable, blistering heat. Head coach Andy Reid is known for some of the league’s most strenuous training-camp practices. For Kelce, it’s the norm: he’s never had it any other way.
“Once you’re here, it’s all about football, man,“ said Kelce. ”You eat, breathe and sleep football. You try and be there for the guys next to you — the new guys that are coming in, trying to get acclimated. It really hasn’t changed since I’ve been here. Coach Reid does a great job of putting a plan in place — putting a regimen in place [that] gives you a chance to succeed… and find out what you’re made of.“
Entering his age-35 season, Kelce said he lost weight, hoping to regain some of the explosiveness he may have lost during 2024’s campaign. Kelce began his career as a tight end for Alex Smith, but 2025 marks his eighth season as a target for two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes.
The duo has now spent nearly a decade playing together, yet Kelce senses a new level of hunger from Mahomes.
“Just how fast his mind is moving — it seems like he’s always a step ahead,” said the tight end of his quarterback. “His arm is alive right now. It’s fun to see him know the play, know where he’s going before the snap happens. On top of that, just being a leader — being our biggest, fearless competitor. He’s really leading this team right now, working hard and getting right.”
Kansas City hopes to transition Kelce to a complementary role this season, with wide receiver Rashee Rice as the focal point, whenever he gets...
