Travis Kelce’s excellent Chiefs offseason included SNL, White House visit, first pitch
In the Saturday Night Live studio, at the White House or on the mound for a first pitch, Travis Kelce welcomes the attention.
“There’s nothing like being in front of the world with a microphone in your hand,” the Kansas City Chiefs’ superstar tight end said.
But he also understands that such center-stage moments occur because he takes seriously his role as one of the NFL’s top players. He puts in the work. Tuesday marked the first of the Chiefs’ annual three-day mandatory mini-camp, and as comfortable as he seems in the spotlight’s glare, Kelce is in his element on the field, too.
“I just love the game,” he said. “It keeps me living as a young fun-loving football player. I get to play a game for a living at age 33, 34. I don’t want to lose that excitement I had for the game when I was a kid.”
There’s no sign of that. Kelce, who will turn 34 in October, is coming off perhaps his most productive season — and one of the greatest ever by a tight end. He set a personal records with 110 receptions and 12 touchdown catches while amassing 1,338 yards.
He once again was a beast in the playoffs, too. He recorded at least one touchdown catch in all three games, extending his streak of consecutive games with a TD catch to six (and nine of his last 10). Only Jerry Rice (with 22) has more career playoff touchdown receptions than Kelce.
His touchdown grab from Patrick Mahomes opened the Chiefs’ scoring in Super Bowl LVII. He had a team-best 81 receiving yards in the Chiefs’ 38-35 triumph over the Philadelphia Eagles.
As a four-time first-team All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler, Kelce is a familiar face in the football world.
He dabbled in reality television with the 2016 series, “Catching Kelce,” in which women from each state attempted to woo him. But his fame has reached another level entirely in just the past year, starting with the wildly popular New Heights podcast he co-hosts with brother Jason, the Eagles’ center.
It continued with his gig as host of Saturday Night Live, which received good reviews from critics and offered Kelce a glimpse of dedication and teamwork away from sports.
“It was a machine, man. It was a very strategic, structured machine,” Kelce said. “There was a lot of fun in terms of the creativity. ... Everyone works great together. All the writers, the production, it’s like a team effort.”
In the near term, one more high-profile event awaits: On Thursday, Kelce and his teammates will receive their Super Bowl LVII rings. They’ll walk a red carpet and then attend a ceremony that’s not open to the public.
About a month later, Kelce and his Chiefs teammates will return to training camp in St. Joseph to begin preparing in earnest for the 2023 NFL season.
The 10-year veteran was asked Tuesday how much longer he envisions playing.
“Until the wheels fall off, baby,” Kelce said. “I love this game, man. I know I’m going to miss it when I’m done playing. It’s a business decision I’m sure I’ll have to make at some point in my life. But right now I’m in this building and (I) want to win football games.”