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Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce is the third core player to sign a contract extension with the team this offseason, following QB Patrick Mahomes and DT Chris Jones.
But why are players so eager to stay in Kansas City? Yes, they have one of the best young quarterbacks in the game. Yes, they’re coming off of a championship-winning season, but there’s more to it than that. They have the right culture and the right people in the building. Players like Kelce simply want to remain a part of it.
“I think there are a lot of reasons, man,” Kelce told reporters of his desire to stay in Kansas City. “One is because we got great guys in the locker room. We got great guys in the facility, great people in the facility. And overall, it’s a fun atmosphere every single time you come to work. Guys don’t want to leave that. Guys want to keep building off of that. And it’s a beautiful thing when you have ownership trust in you, want to make change with you, in terms of the season and the community. And then on top of that just going out there playing football with guys who come to work every single day and fight their tail off for you. It’s a beautiful thing. You know what, this community, Kansas City, I love you and I’m thankful that I’m going to be here for the next six years.”
The great people in the Chiefs organization all contribute to the culture that players want to be a part of on and off the football field. The front office, coaching staff, ownership, business staff, training staff and players all share a sort-of amebic relationship. They all are working toward the same goal and because of that, the players have trust that contract extensions, like the three we’ve seen this offseason, will get done.
“It’s a blessing, man. It’s a blessing,” Kelce said. “The front office, Brett Veach, Coach Reid, Clark Hunt, Mark Donovan, the guys that really put this organization together and get everybody on the same page, we’ve got all the trust in the world that those guys are going to get it done and make it worthwhile while we’re here. I can’t thank them enough for the opportunities that we’ve had up to date. We’re making our effort every single day to make the best yet to come, man.”
Kelce believes the best is yet to come for him and his teammates. Since Kelce arrived in Kansas City in 2013, the Chiefs have won 77 regular-season games and have a 4-4 record in the postseason. Kelce feels fortunate that he’s been surrounded by such greatness to this point in his career. He even referred to it as a “circle of success.”
“Being very fortunate that I’m on the field, that’s the biggest thing, man,” Kelce said. “I’ve been very fortunate to have great teammates around me, great coaches to put me in positions to succeed. And then on top of that, great athletic trainers in the training room. You can’t underestimate or leave them out of the puzzle because rehab and keeping guys on the field is arguably half the job in the NFL. We know how physically demanding [the NFL] is. I’ve been very fortunate to have this circle of success around me. It just keeps getting better and better, knowing that the front office and Coach Reid are bringing in guys that are going to help us win.”
In some ways, each of the contract extensions signed in Kansas City this offseason were considered team-friendly. They were structured in a way that made sense for the team and the players. Guys like Kelce were willing to agree to that to keep this team together and winning football games.
“The first thing is I think we all know that we trust the front office, Brett Veach, Andy Reid, and Clark Hunt, to keep the core,” Kelce said. “We trusted that they were going to be able to make it make sense for all of the players, which they did. They held their end of the bargain. We’re very thankful that we still have the core going into this year and for a few years ahead.”
The trust that each facet of the franchise has in each other, that’s how you know that there is something special brewing in Kansas City. That the talk of dynasties and championships to come isn’t just hyperbole or overconfidence. Even with reaching football’s highest mountain top in 2020, Kelce says the goal remains the same for the entire organization.
“We all have one goal in mind and that’s to play football and play at a high level every Sunday,” Kelce said as he signed off. “Kansas City, I love y’all baby!”
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