Kelce's Chiefs QB Knocked Out Early in Playoffs

During the recent episode of the New Heights podcast, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce commented on whether or not Patrick Mahomes’s injury played a factor in his decision to return for the 2026 season. “I knew that Pat (Mahomes) was going to be Pat, and he’s gonna work his (f******) tail off to get back and be at his best. I knew that was a no-brainer.

I knew Coach (Andy) Reid was gonna make adjustments,” said Kelce, “I knew (Brett) Veach is gonna do his best to get the best guys in here. We’ve got Eric Bieniemy, one of my favorite coaches of all (f******) time, coming back into the building. But outside of I wanted to take a step back from all of that, because that adds to the emotion of wanting to play again.

” Kelce believes Mahomes will be back and effective to start the new season, but also praised other members of the team as key factors in his return. “You list these pros and cons, and all of a sudden, we get all these good pieces,” said Kelce, “But where’s my body at, and where is my like, mental like, determination, my focus, my love for the game, all of that still there. So once I let that kind of settle, and the coaches and the Kansas City Chiefs knew all that going into the offseason.

” Kelce finished last season with 78 catches for 851 yards and five touchdowns. He was on pace for potentially eclipsing 1,000 yards before Mahomes’ knee injury in Week 15. This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Travis Kelce on Patrick Mahomes’ injury as a factor in playing future