KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Even though he led the Kansas City Chiefs in receptions again by a wide margin, it wasn't difficult to see the emphasis of the passing game shift away from tight end Travis Kelce. Between receiver Rashee Rice's hot start, rookie receiver Xavier Worthy's growth and tight end Noah Gray's development, the future is on its way.
But it's not here quite yet. The Chiefs' need might not be as great as it once was for a big playoff game or two from Kelce, as he has delivered many times in the past, but he still appears capable of providing it.
"I'm happy with my role right now,'' said Kelce, who sat out the Chiefs' final regular-season game against the Denver Broncos when the Chiefs rested several key players for a playoff run. "I'm out here helping this team win football games. We got a lot of good tight ends. We got a lot of wide receivers that are getting open, that are doing great things with the football. Pat [Mahomes] is playing at his best going into the playoffs, so it's a year a little bit different than others, but it's still a blast coming in every single day.''
It was a different type of season for Kelce, who turned 35 in October. He started slowly, with just eight catches in the first three games. Despite his 97 receptions, Kelce had the lowest yardage (823) and touchdown totals (three) of his career.
Kelce's season wasn't without its highlights. He had seven games with at least seven catches, highlighted by a 14-reception, 100-yard game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He held the passing game together for a stretch when Rice and Hollywood Brown were out with injuries.
"He makes huge plays for us,'' said Joe Bleymaier, the Chiefs' passing game coordinator. "He comes up in the biggest moments big. He does a lot of the unseen, unwritten stuff that maybe goes without notice to a lot of the outside world that he makes plays happen for everybody else. He teaches the young guys, he brings our culture and just how we play and how we operate along for all the new guys that are new in the building.
"I would say a typical Trav season, even if the stats might indicate a little bit less so.''
The Chiefs finished 15-2, one of the losses coming in a 38-0 blowout against the Broncos on Sunday when several key players did not play because the Chiefs had already clinched the AFC's top playoff seed.
Their record wasn't unexpected, not with the Chiefs being the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. But to Kelce, it was gratifying, nonetheless.
"I could look back on a lot of the teams that we had success on and those were the most fun teams to be on,'' Kelce said. "You could feel it in the building. And right now, it is such a blast coming in and going to work with the guys that we have. It is more unique and more different than any year I've ever been a part of because of the way we've won and how we've had to keep focusing on getting better, knowing we were coming away with wins.
"It's just the chemistry is at an all-time high right now, and I'm excited that we've found a way to get the No. 1 seed and we're going into the playoffs playing our best football."
Kelce was among several Chiefs players who also didn't play in the final regular-season game of the 2023 season. It seemed to benefit him more than most.
He had 32 catches and three touchdowns in four postseason games. The Chiefs are hoping the rest helps bring similar production in these playoffs.
"I remember it kind of sparking him a little bit, physically [and] mentally,'' offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said. "That kind of gave him a jump. ... I remember him just having just a little extra. It's critical when you can get to that point. He's been doing this a long time. He has got more reps than most people in this league. So when you can take advantage of that and get these types of games where you get a bye week for him, it's massive.''
In the Chiefs' Christmas Day win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kelce hit a couple of statistical milestones. He became the 15th player and third tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 career receptions. He also caught his 77th career touchdown pass, a Chiefs record, breaking a tie with Tony Gonzalez.
He celebrated by trying to dunk the ball over the crossbar, Gonzalez's signature move.
"I was extremely excited,'' Mahomes said. "I've been trying to get him a touchdown for the last few weeks, and I wanted to do it at Arrowhead. I was happy that we got it done in the regular season and now we can just play football. He's done so much for this organization on and off the field and for him to have the career that he's had has been special.
"I know at the end of the day he wants to win the ring more than anything, but it's awesome that he can have that accomplishment.''
It was much like the old days for Kelce, who early in his career collected several unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. He drew one for trying the dunk.
"I knew the score and I knew that my guy (Harrison Butker) had my back on the [long PAT],'' Kelce said. "So it was showing Tony some love and just a big tribute to who he has been in this, not only this organization, but who he's been for football and we know how iconic it was that he would dunk the ball over the goalpost all the time. And I gave my best effort. I don't know if I did it quite like him, but I gave it a run.''