‘He’s really evolved’: How Travis Kelce’s new role made Chiefs even more dangerous

Henry McKenna

NFL Reporter

NEW ORLEANS — To some degree, it has been a quiet year for Travis Kelce.

Yes, yes, we’re talking about Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. The guy at the center of speculation over a potential proposal to Taylor Swift. The guy who will play in the Super Bowl on Sunday. The guy who goes viral anytime he leaves the house.

But Kelce barely spoke to the media during the 2024 regular season. And he’s had 97 catches for a career-low 823 yards with another career-low in touchdowns (3).

That’s what I mean by quiet.

Behind the scenes, the 35-year-old veteran has found other ways to contribute beyond individual statistics.

“Early on in my career, I think my motivation was driven off individual success. Wanting to get that acknowledgment of my peers and of the people watching the game that I was somebody fun to watch or that I was worth watching,” Kelce said Thursday. “I feel like this year I’ve kind of stepped into being more of a voice for the guys. We have a lot of new faces, whether it’s guys we picked up in the offseason, guys we picked up throughout the season. Just being able to be there for the young guys and help them understand the offense better.”

Just ask Nikko Remigio, the Chiefs’ rookie punt returner.

After the opening drive of the AFC Championship Game, Remigio called for a fair catch when he didn’t comfortable fielding a punt. As Remigio went to the sideline, Kelce pulled the rookie aside for a short pep talk.

“First of all, he’s watching,” assistant head coach and special teams coach Dave Toub told FOX Sports. “He’s not sitting on the bench [with the offense]. He’s watching and supporting what’s going on on special teams. Nikko comes off the field and he says, ‘Hey, man, you’re not going to be star if you don’t freaking try to steal that thing.’ That stuck with Remigio and the next play, he takes it and gets a big return. … You got a guy like Kelce saying that to a young player — that means the world.”

The Bills only punted once more that whole game. Remigio returned it 41 yards. He credited Kelce for help in getting the confidence to make the big play.

“It’s not a knock, right? He obviously knows and sees that I have more in me,” Remigio said. “He could see I was playing a little gun shy. And he’s like, ‘Bro, just go play free.’ Because he’s seen it before.”

It was like that in Week 18 against Denver, too, when the Chiefs rested their starters. Tight end Peyton Hendershot took on a massive role that week, and every time he went to the sideline, there was Kelce pumping him up. The veteran was doing everything he could to help Hendershot have the best game he could — even when the game meant nothing in the standings.

It meant a lot to Hendershot.

“When we played the Broncos, he was just always in my ear about being confident and making the plays that I know that I can make,” Hendershot said.

Not every superstar will stay engaged for special teams plays. Not every superstar will stay engaged in the games he’s not playing. Not every superstar can stay engaged in his worst statistical season of his career.

“When he’s not getting catches, he’s not getting down on himself. He’s staying up,” Toub said. “That’s hard to do when you’re the guy — and then all the sudden, you’re not the guy. He’s really evolved as the years went on.”

Andy Reid on Travis Kelce’s growth and the qualities that make him elite

Throughout the season, Kelce has also served as a translator for Kansas City’s new pass-catchers. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is particular. So is coach Andy Reid. So is pass-game coordinator Joe Bleyenmayer. The Chiefs’ playbook is expansive, and every game plan is carefully curated. Even more complicated, the routes don’t always look like they do on paper. There was a lot to learn for offseason acquisitions Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy — and in-season addition DeAndre Hopkins.

Brown remembered a specific instance where Kelce watched the receiver run a route early in training camp when the tight end broke down a simple adjustment that would help Hollywood move in a way that would appease Mahomes. It was a small “ad-lib” that helped Hollywood do “what Pat expects on a certain route that might not show up on paper.” Just last week, Kelce did the same thing for Worthy, who was struggling to grasp a coaching point from Bleyenmayer. Kelce showed Worthy what the coaches wanted. And Worthy was executing the adjustment to perfection.

“[Kelce is] selfless. He definitely shares a lot about the game with me — what he sees, what he thinks, what I could do on certain routes to be on better time with Pat. And we definitely appreciate it,” Brown said. “The guy is going to go down as the best tight end to play this game, so just to be able to share the field with him is definitely a blessing.”

We’re almost a year removed from a moment that gave everyone pause about Kelce’s maturity. In last year’s Super Bowl, Kelce screamed and physically bumped his coach on the sideline. It was a tantrum — and given that Kelce is 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, it was not exactly harmless.

Maybe that was the outlier moment. Heck, maybe that was part of the inspiration why the tight end has taken such an interest in being a better communicator.

“He loves the game, he loves to give back, and he loves to share the knowledge that he has, experiences that he’s had,” QBs coach David Girardi said. “I think it’s been a gradual thing for him. Every year, that leadership and that teaching — it just keeps growing every year.”

Prior to joining FOX Sports as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.

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