Travis Kelce has outlined his remarkable stance on reaching the AFC Championship game every year with the Kansas City Chiefs: ‘It’s either that or I’m a failure.’
The Chiefs are gearing up for their seventh straight conference title game this weekend, with the Buffalo Bills standing in their way of a third consecutive Super Bowl appearance.
Ahead of Sunday’s crucial outing at Arrowhead, Kelce has opened up on the pressure he puts on himself to at least reach the AFC showpiece every season, which shocked older brother and Philadelphia Eagles legend Jason.
‘I don’t think people realize how f***ing crazy this is,’ Jason initially said to him on the latest episode of their New Heights podcast.
‘Seven straight times you have been one of the top two teams in the AFC. Is it just expected that you’re gonna go to the AFC Championship game?’
Travis replied: ‘I put that on myself every single year. It’s either that or I’m a failure.’
Travis Kelce considers himself a ‘failure’ if he doesn’t reach the AFC title game every year
Kelce made the claim during the latest episode of his and brother Jason’s New Heights podcast
‘That’s a hell of a way to live your life. It’s working out so far,’ Jason responded.
‘I don’t care if I’m the MVP or the league, which I’ll never be or which I’ve never been up for,’ Travis then added. ‘But it doesn’t matter what you do individually, it’s about what your team does at the end of the day.’
Kelce and the Chiefs are bidding to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls this season.
Yet regardless of what plays out over the next two-and-a-half weeks, many believe the legendary tight end could hang up his cleats at the end of the 2024 campaign.
After putting up the worst regular-season numbers of his career, and amid his whirlwind romance with popstar Taylor Swift, fans and analysts have questioned how much desire Travis will have to play on next year.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes sparked fears that his good friend could indeed walk away from football once their three-peat bid is over, telling Kansas City’s 96.5 FM ahead of Sunday’s AFC title game that he has ‘no idea’ about his future plans.
‘He hasn’t said anything to me if he’s thinking that,’ Mahomes continued. ‘I know he signed a two-year extension before the season and he seems like he still loves football, but he also has a great life as well.
Jason was left shocked by the incredible pressure his younger brother places upon himself
Kelce’s future in the NFL is uncertain as the Chiefs eye a historic three-peat this season
Patrick Mahomes doesn’t know if Sunday’s game will be his good friend’s last in Kansas City
‘Either way, I just appreciate every single time I step on the field with that guy, knowing he’s a true legend of not only the Chiefs, but the NFL.
‘If it’s his last game, let’s go out there and get him a win. If it’s not his last game, let’s go out and win anyways, huh?’
Amid claims he could be set to retire, Kelce produced a scintillating display to help Kansas City get past the Houston Texans in the Divisional round of the playoffs with girlfriend Swift watching on from the stands.
The 35-year-old made a mockery of those suggestions after taking seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown in one of his most successful outings of 2024.
And after reaching the 100-yard mark against Houston, he also set another all-time NFL record.
Kelce was back to his best as the Chiefs earned a hard-fought win over the Houston Texans
The legendary tight end has now recorded 100 or more receiving yards in nine postseason games over the course of his career, the most by any player in history.
He was previously tied in the all-time standings with former San Francisco 49ers receiver Jerry Rice on eight games.
Kelce already holds numerous NFL records; including most consecutive and most overall seasons with 1,000 yards by a tight end (7), most receiving yards by a tight end in a single season (1,416), most receptions by a tight end in their first 10 seasons (814), and most receptions (172) and receiving touchdowns (22) in the playoffs.
Back in December, he also became the quickest tight end in history to reach 12,000 career receiving yards after doing so in 172 games, surpassing the previous record held by Chiefs legend Tony Gonzalez (210 games).
