Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce: ‘Kansas City, I love you’

Travis Kelce had been here before.

Well, not so much exactly here – on the first day of training camp, stare at a webcam instead of at the press in person. But rather, signing a long-term contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.

There have been a lot of press conferences between the 2016 contract extension and Thursday, so even though he did not speak to the press face to face, he was well aware that his message would get to the people of Kansas City.

“This community, Kansas City, I love you,” he said as he looked into the camera around the 1:08 second mark. “And I’m thankful I’ll be here for the next six years.”

Kelce’s contract is the latest in an offseason the Chiefs have seen him see Chris Jones and Patrick Mahomes on extensions – and make a restructured deal for Sammy Watkins.

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“My hat goes off to Clark Hunt,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said when asked about his team retaining all major pieces after the Super Bowl LIV win. ‘That’s where it starts, and his support from (general manager) Brett Veach and Brett’s crew in working on these deals and getting it done. Then, we appreciate the players and their attitude. They are good guys, but they are good footballers who like the game. So, you enjoy being those guys and you’re proud of the effort they put in to stay. Then, apparently from my point of view, just Brett and his crew again for doing it. ‘

Reid and the Chiefs signed Kelce back in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. The story of Reid mentioning Kelce and his brother Jason on design day is well told.

Reid said he told Kelce he would not be easy on him, and since then the head coach has seen him grow from fierce up-and-comer to locker-room leader.

“The fact that he’s been selected as a playoff captain for the last few years – three years I think – probably says it all,” Reid said. “He has grown. Everyone here has seen him grow before their eyes, including fans. However, he comes to work every day and wants to get better, so you love that part of him. He brings energy every day. I have had his brother happy and they are both so.

“They are wired where they want the best, but still enjoy the game like no other – like you play in the garden type.”

De backyard-type thing fits well with Kelce quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Mahomes has targeted Kelce more than any player in the Chiefs ‘starting lineup in his first two seasons as a starter, and their touchdown connection in the fourth quarter in Miami kept the Chiefs’ title dream alive.

In another situation, Kelce might have wondered what free agency could be. But what he and the Chiefs have built in Kansas City has given him no reason to leave.

“We have great guys in the locker room, great people in the facility, and overall it’s just a nice atmosphere every time you get to work,” he said. ‘Men do not want to leave that. Guys want to break that down further. It’s a wonderful thing when you have self-confidence in you and want to make change with you in terms of the season and the community.

‘Plus, go out and play football with guys who come to work every day and fight their tails for you. It’s a beautiful thing. ”

With Kelce’s contract making him Kansas City Chief by 2025, he now holds a realistic chance of defeating Tony Gonzalez in any time Chiefs get yards.

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“Everyone has always tried to compare me to Tony since I came here just because of the position,” Kelce said. ‘He’s a Hall of Famer, man. The reason he’s a Hall of Famer is because he did it the right way every time. He was here in this community and tried to make it better and tried to show everyone his face by getting out of the face mask and making a difference. That’s what I try to do every year.

‘I’m working with Operation Breakthrough on a few more things, so we’ve got some news. Beyond just being a great competitor, I try to model my professionalization of what Tony has already started here. I knew it was something a model of success. I want to thank everyone for comparing me to Tony to increase my ante every time. ”

Gonzalez made an ideological shift about what it means to be a tight end in the NFL – one player like Kelce, George Kittle, Rob Gronkowski and others have continued to this day. Close ends are now more than blockers; they are weapons.

But as far as consistency is concerned, no other tight end in history has done what Kelce has. He is the only player in his position to ever play four consecutive seasons of 1000-a-side football. And instead of taking credit for that feat, Kelce turned his attention to those who helped him.

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“I’m very happy to have great teammates around me, great coaches to put me in a position to succeed,” Kelce notes, “on top of great athletic trainers in the gym. You can not underestimate her or her out of the puzzle.Rehabling and keeping guys on the field is probably half the job in the NFL because we know how physically demanding it is.I’m lucky to have this round of success around me and it just keeps getting better and better to know that the front office and coach Reid are bringing in guys who will help us win. “

And it also speaks volumes – to both those inside and outside the building – that they are ready to take care of themselves.

“I think we all know we trust the front office, Brett Veach, Andy Reid, and Clark Hunt, to keep the core,” Kelce said. ‘We trusted they could make sense for all the players, what they did. They held their end of the bargain. We are very thankful that we have the core a few more times this year. “