Patrick Mahomes Explains How Travis Kelce Cut “National Tight End Day” From His Mind For Chiefs Win

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has been turning back the clock. The 35-year-old superstar went over 70 receiving yards for the third time in four weeks this afternoon, hauling in 10 passes for 90 yards against the Las Vegas Raiders. He also put an end to a 13-game touchdown drought on Sunday with his five-yard second quarter score.

Travis Kelce’s first TD of year? On #NationalTightEndsDay!

: #KCvsLV on CBS/Paramount+
: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/uOQ8BVlAiK

— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024

You might think a player of Kelce’s caliber would be upset about not finding the endzone more often. But according to quarterback Patrick Mahomes postgame, Kelce isn’t concerned with his touchdown totals.

The fact he happened to score on National Tight End Day, in Mahomes’ mind, was merely a coincidence:

“You ask anyone on the team, they’d want Travis to score a touchdown more than he wants to… that’s just the type of guy he is. It was a tight-window throw, he made a big-time catch. He had a good game, but I don’t think he mentioned National Tight End Day a single time.”

The victory was Kansas City’s seventh straight triumph to begin the 2024 campaign. Every other AFC team has at least two losses so far, giving them some breathing room atop the conference standings.

Every offensive player loves contributing toward their team’s success. For Kelce, that has more often than not meant catching passes, racking up yards, and scoring points. However, he isn’t afraid to take a back seat if it’s what’s best for the team.

Travis Kelce’s actions back up Patrick Mahomes’ words

His first three games – where he totaled a combined eight catches and 69 yards – are evidence of Travis’ unselfishness. However, his approach toward chasing a Super Bowl in 2023 may be an even better example.

Entering the season finale, Kelce needed just 16 yards to post an eighth consecutive 1,000-yard campaign. Instead of playing and risking injury, he sat out to make sure he was healthy for the playoffs.

Mahomes referenced this moment when describing what makes Kelce successful on Sunday:

“He’s all about ball… I think you saw that the last game last year… he sat himself out even though we wanted him to play. He’s all about winning at the end of the day, and that’s what makes him a special player.”

What typically makes Mahomes special is his ability to light up opposing defenses. He hasn’t done a lot of that this year but did take a step in the right direction against the Raiders.

Sunday’s contest was the first since Week 3 in which he tossed more touchdown passes than interceptions. If he’s breaking out of his funk, the rest of the AFC will be in big trouble the rest of the year.