NFL star Travis Kelce has opened up about the encouragement he’s received from his other half, Taylor Swift, to continue building upon his already illustrious legacy in the sport.
Patrick Mahomes, his teammate, has now echoed Swift’s sentiment, insisting that he is not ready to see Kelce hang up his boots just yet.
At 35, Kelce is revered as one of the best tight ends to play the game and has been pivotal in the Kansas City Chiefs’ dominance, which includes securing three Super Bowl rings. Although he has admitted to enduring a significant dip in form this season that has prompted him to declare that he will take time in the offseason to ponder his future.
Pop star Swift relishes seeing him in action at Arrowhead Stadium and believes her partner still has plenty to offer.
Asked about Kelce’s future, Mahomes spoke at length about how he feels fortunate to share the pitch with him and joined Swift in wishing for Kelce’s tenure with the Chiefs to continue well into the future.
Mahomes explained: “I haven’t [thought about it]. That’s something you worry about in the offseason. But, regardless, I just appreciate the time I am on the football pitch with him and that started whenever I first got here. I mean I knew how blessed I was to have that guy on my team.
“Every opportunity I step on the football pitch [with him] I appreciate it. Hopefully, that’s a lot more years. But I’ll appreciate it every time I do.
“I’ve always known how great of a leader he is. I preach it every year. The way that he works every single day, and it makes my job easier as another leader in the team and so I knew he was going to do what he did in the playoffs, because every time the moment gets bigger he plays better and he’ll do whatever it takes to win and that’s the type of guys you want on your football team and I’m glad he’s on mine.”
Kelce’s touchdown during the 23-14 victory against the Houston Texans on Saturday further solidified his record-breaking partnership with Mahomes; the duo now boasts 20 postseason touchdowns, an NFL high. Yet, this regular season proved challenging for Kelce, witnessing career lows since burst onto the NFL scene in 2014, managing just 823 yards and three touchdowns.
Nevertheless, the Chiefs remain formidable contenders in the league, though Kelce acknowledges that his personal performance have fallen short of his own benchmarks.
Addressing his future in the sport, Kelce conveyed to Stephen A. Smith the unwavering support he receives from Swift: “She’s fully encouraging me to enjoy playing this game. She loves coming to Arrowhead [Stadium] and coming to the games and cheering for me, so I got all the support in the world to keep chasing these dreams.
“I love everything that I’m doing… but at the end of the day, I’m not having that extreme success on the field. I’ll re-evaluate it like I always do, and I’ll probably tell myself how much I love this thing and I’ll come back next year.”
This article originally appeared on Mirror US
