During Sunday’s press conference, Justin Reid quoted LeBron James when asked what makes the 34-year-old Travis Kelce special. He expressed that the tight end embodies the qualities the NBA legend describes in his experience playing at an older age.
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Reid has spent about two years defending against Kelce in practice, and during that time, he has seen him emerge as a leader of the Chiefs. For Kelce, it was a journey that took years, much like what LeBron has said about how, with time, comes a deeper understanding of the game and ultimately better results.
As Reid explained:
“There’s a quote from Lebron where he talks about Lebron now versus when he was younger — just the amount of knowledge and experience he has in the game. And as time starts to go, you start getting smarter, playing a little bit more fluid, and Kelce’s just the epitome of that.”
According to the Chiefs’ safety, Kelce has really mastered playing the game mentally more than physically. In football, aside from kickers and quarterbacks, few players make it into their 30s. However, Kelce is proving to be an anomaly, and his camaraderie and chemistry with QB Patrick Mahomes make things even easier.
“It feels like he’s timeless, because he’s so smart and knows the move. Him and Patrick have so much chemistry, that they’re just able to create things on the fly and do things that nobody else in the league can do. So, he’s not slowing down anytime soon.”
The six-year NFL vet believes Kelce is fired up and ready to go. And having been “on the other side” defending against the tight end in a real game situation, he recalled, “Yeah, it’s not fun. Nobody has an answer for it.” But given that he’s now on Kelce’s side, he wants that “no one ever figures it (Kelce’s gameplay) out.”
Now, with the new tricks the Chiefs have cooked up this offseason, who knows what the offense will look like. However, since the club is aiming for a historic three-peat year, every team will be targeting them.
Yet, with the way they have filled the gaps from last year, especially in the wide receiver room, it’s hard to argue that any team will find it easy to surpass or overcome them.
