Travis Kelce turned 34 on October 5 and has since had the greatest three-game span of his career, highlighted by his 12-catch, 179-yard, and one-touchdown performance against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
Andy Reid, the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, explained that Kelce is growing stronger with age. He acknowledged that it could be the Taylor Swift effect as well.
She was in attendance for the fourth time this season at a Kansas City Chiefs game, and Kelce has averaged more than twice as many yards with her presence than without.
Reid said after the Chiefs’ 31-17 victory, “Taylor can stay as long as she likes.” Kelce has performed better than ever in the past three games, catching 31 passes against the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, and San Diego Chargers.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, a wide receiver for the Chiefs, remarked, “Even if you know what he’s going to run, you can’t stop it.”
Kelce, according to quarterback Patrick Mahomes, does not always know before the play which route he will execute.
He took advantage of his ability to alter his route against certain coverages multiple times against the Chargers.
“The main thing is the way he’s able to recognize coverage and adjust on the fly,” Mahomes commented. “We frequently discuss it, but it’s not something to take for granted. Almost as if he were playing Madden.
He can read the coverage, pause in the windows, be open, and be on the same page as me at all times; therefore, he did an excellent job.
“It seems like he does it week in and week out and that’s why he’s the player that he is and he’ll be a Hall of Famer one day.”
Kelce missed the Chiefs’ season opener against the Detroit Lions last month.
Since then, he has had 48 receptions in six games, which is tied for the most in NFL history for a tight end in his first six games.
Mahomes did not dispute, at least in part, that Kelce has improved with age.
“The way he’s able to recognize coverages is probably even better,” Mahomes commented.
“He’s played against every single team and every coverage and every way to try to take him away and so he’s able to recognize that and then dissect it on the fly.”
Mahomes couldn’t help but poke fun at Kelce. In the second quarter, they completed a pass of 53 yards, with Kelce receiving a short pass and advancing to the Chargers’ 6 before being subdued.
Even so, the Chiefs scored on the next play.
“Younger Trav would have scored on that one touchdown,” Mahomes commented. I will state that.
Aside from that, I believe he is doing an excellent job of finding methods to get himself open and having these monster performances.”