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Superstar tight end Travis Kelce was reportedly among the players who spoke to the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday night ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl LIX against the Philadelphia Eagles.
According to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, Kelce told his teammates “how much he loves them.”
Wolfe added that Kelce said while he was “driven by individual success” earlier in his career, his main motivation now is to use his voice and experience to help those around him.
Chiefs rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy told Wolfe that Kelce helped “turn his season around” by teaching him how to play with quarterback Patrick Mahomes and excel in zone coverage.
The 35-year-old Kelce is set to play in his third consecutive Super Bowl, and he will likely be a major factor in whether Kansas City becomes the first team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in a row.
Kelce was named a Pro Bowler for the 10th straight year this season, although he had his worst numbers since his rookie season in 2013 when he appeared in only one game.
The four-time First Team All-Pro finished with 97 receptions for 823 yards and three touchdowns in 16 games, down slightly from 2023 when he had 93 catches for 984 yards and five scores.
Kelce had seven consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 2016 to 2022, but his numbers are on the decline even though he remains a key part of the Chiefs’ offense.
During last year’s playoffs, Kelce led all players with 32 receptions for 355 yards and three touchdowns, including nine grabs for 93 yards in a Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers.
He has had an up-and-down playoffs so far this season, racking up seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown in an AFC Divisional Round win over the Houston Texans before getting limited to two catches for 19 yards in the Chiefs’ 32-29 win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game.
Entering Sunday’s Super Bowl, there is at least some uncertainty surrounding Kelce’s NFL future.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter said Sunday on SportsCenter that Kelce hasn’t yet decided if he will retire or continue playing next season.
Kelce previously told reporters on Super Bowl Opening Night that he sees himself “hopefully still playing football” in three years.
If the Chiefs beat the Eagles on Sunday, they will become the first team to three-peat as Super Bowl champions and Kelce will have won the fourth Super Bowl of his illustrious career.
Kelce is undoubtedly well aware of the fact that the Chiefs can make history in Super Bowl LIX, perhaps giving him and his teammates even more motivation to put their best foot forward in New Orleans.
Even if Kelce does intend to keep playing in 2025 and beyond, he will likely never have another opportunity to win three Super Bowls in a row, making Sunday arguably the biggest game of his career and the careers of his teammates.
