For better or worse, the 2024 NFL season is officially in the past, meaning that it is now time for everyone to begin setting forth expectations for the upcoming 2025 regular season. In the case of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, that means getting on the same page early.
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Following their lopsided loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LIX, the two stars of the Chiefs’ offense are now looking to recapture the magic from their 2022 season. Unfortunately, their return at minicamp hasn’t provided the immediate spark that they may have been hoping for.
After being asked about an errant pass to Kelce, one that was clearly a result of miscommunication, Mahomes suggested that such instances are exactly why teams have endorsed early summertime practices.
“It was a free-style route, it wasn’t like a route that [Kelce] was supposed to run. I thought he was going to do something, he thought that he should do something else. We were kind of off page, but that’s what this is for. You learn those things and if we get that rep in a game now, we’re going to be on the same page because we talked it through.”
When directly asked about his expectations for Kelce’s performance this year, Mahomes noted that he is expecting Kelce to “play at a higher level.” Kelce’s performance against the Eagles was anything but stellar, with the same being said about his appearance in the AFC Championship as well.
Despite those recent struggles, however, he has yet to lose the trust of his quarterback. “I’m expecting Travis to be Travis,” Mahomes explained, before hinting that it may be Super Bowl or bust for Kelce.
“He’s going to go out there with the mentality that we’re trying to win the Super Bowl this year, with us falling short last year. But, I think more than anything, it’s the leadership that he brings to the building every day. How he leads by example and how he leads vocally, it has a big impact on our football team.”
In short, the two expectations from Mahomes were pretty clear. 1) Be one of the Chiefs’ leaders. 2) Help the team win the Super Bowl.
Even though Mahomes claims to have never discussed retirement with Kelce, he did admit that the idea is very much “in the back of your mind” when playing with a 12-year veteran. Thankfully, he’ll have his career-leading target for at least one more season.
The QB-TE tandem has 51 touchdown connections, good for the most in the history of the Chiefs’ franchise. Mahomes and Kelce are also two of only six players to be on the team’s active roster for all three of their Super Bowl victories.
Suffice it to say, Kelce’s retirement will mark the end of the most decorated era in Chiefs’ history. The good news for Kansas City, however, is that while their past may lie with Kelce, their future still rests in the hands of Mahomes and Andy Reid.
