Super Bowl LIX: Travis Kelce Expecting Biggest Test Yet in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS – The Kansas City Chiefs are one win away from making NFL history as they have their sights set on an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl championship on Sunday.

A field goal was the difference in each of the last two Super Bowl matchups, but Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce believes the Super Bowl LVII rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles will be the team’s ‘biggest test yet.’

“They’ve got a lot of great players, but the biggest thing for me is how well they play together,” Kelce said of the analysis of his opponent this weekend during a media session this week. “You can see it through their communication. You can see the accountability that they have for each other, especially in the secondary.”

It’s hard to disagree with Kelce.

Since their defeat two years ago, the Eagles have retooled their defense by hitting on impact players in the NFL Draft in each of the last two years.

In 2023, the Eagles traded up to select defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who was last year’s runner-up for defensive rookie of the year. And they followed that up by adding rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and safety Cooper DeJean, who finished second and fourth respectively in rookie defensive player of the year voting this season.

They also added veteran linebacker Zack Baun, who placed sixth in combined tackles this year, via free agency.

“It’s not going to make my job any easier, especially with those guys up front trying to get to (Patrick Mahomes),” he added. “So, it’s going to be a tough test, but I think right now we’ve got a great game plan together.”

And that’s only on the defensive side of the ball. It doesn’t even consider the Eagles’ most impactful free agent signing this year of running back Saquon Barkley, who was just named 2024 AP Offensive Player of the Year.

The keys to winning though according to Kelce, who has been a key part of three of the Chiefs championship teams, is to constantly evolve.

“We have a lot of familiar faces, but at the same time defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo likes to switch it up,” Kelce suggested. “I just feel like it's every year you have to reboot the team.

“You have to really figure out the core of the team, how you guys can work together. And then on top of that, how you can be playing the best football at the end of the year. And that's what I think we're doing right now.”

While Kelce has been the focal point of the offensive attack in past years, his offensive production has started to decline as he had career lows in yards and touchdowns this season. As a result, the ball has been spread around the offense a little more this year, especially as of late with the emergence of rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy.

Kelce acknowledged that he knows his playing career may be coming to an end soon, but still hopes to be playing football for a few more years.

“I love (playing football),” Kelce suggested. “I love coming in to work every day. I feel like I still have a few more good years left in me.

“I've been setting myself up for other opportunities in my life and that's always been the goal,” he added. “Knowing that football only lasts so long you got to find a way to get into another career into another you know profession and I've been doing that in my off-seasons.”

There has been plenty of speculation of whether the Cleveland Heights native would retire at the end of this season.

Whenever that may be, Kelce indicated that it is both his accomplishments on and off the field are important to the lasting legacy that he has had on the game.

Nearly a decade ago, Kelce started the non-profit foundation Eighty-Seven & Running in an effort to make a difference in the community through the inspiration of his own positive childhood experience and upbringing. The foundation helps provide an outlet for underserved youth strive to become productive citizens by mentoring and motivating them to explore and develop their abilities while learning critical life skills.

This year, Kelce was nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which is the NFL’s highest honor recognizing a player's commitment to philanthropy and community impact, and excellence on the field.

"Over the past 12 years, Travis Kelce has grown into one of the most dynamic individuals in all of football, both on and off the field," Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a press release. "He's a three-time Super Bowl Champion, a nine-time Pro Bowler and one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history.

“He's also a tremendous leader, a role model for young people in Kansas City and an inspiration to football fans around the world. Through his new Ignition Lab, the growing Eighty-Seven & Running Foundation and his partnership with Operation Breakthrough, Travis has impacted the lives of thousands of young people in the Kansas City region and beyond. Very few athletes in the history of the game have balanced the same level of team success, individual accolades, and community engagement."

Kelce’s body of work on and off the field is what everyone will appreciate most when he calls it a career.

For now, though, we’ll just enjoy the ride of one of the most prolific tight ends in the history of the game.