The two Chiefs-Raiders games this year were mentally draining for me and I didn’t even play so I can’t imagine the physical toll it took on Chiefs players. That’s why I’m not all that surprised to hear Travis Kelce tell Mike Florio on NBC Sports that he hopes the Chiefs don’t play the Raiders again or any other AFC West team (besides the Broncos game on Christmas night).
“That goes out to the respect I have for them,” Kelce said. “They’re a tough team to beat. It’s hard to beat a team three times, let alone twice.”
Kelce talked about a bunch of stuff on Florio’s show. You should definitely watch the whole thing in the video player below. I took a few notes as well.
On whether he’s the best TE in the NFL: “I’ll leave that up to the critics.”
On thinking about his 100 yards in four straight games and what’s ahead: “Not really, it’s out there. People are asking about it and what not. It’s been a regular week for me and Alex Smith and all the other offensive weapons we got.”
On staying warm this weekend: “I’m like a walking grizzly bear. I got fur and hair all over me. I got the beard going, the long hair and the chest hair and back hair going. I let it take over in the winter and I’m warm as a wolf out there. I don’t let the cold get to me.”
On any bear-themed TD dances: “I don’t know about grizzly bears. I might do the Winnie The Pooh dance if he had one.”
On Tyreek Hill: “I’ve never seen anyone as fast as him on the football field ... He can actually make guys miss with the ball in his hand. That’s what makes him special.”
On the quick turnaround on Thursday night games: “I mean, it’s rough. But I play this game for the people around me, I play this game for the people back home. I love playing football so that my fans can see me. Thursday night are an opportunity where I know it’s a nationally televised game so that my family and everybody back home can watch.”
On the Madden curse: “It’s a scary thing to even talk about ... It’s something as a kid you always dreamed being on the video game but it seems the curse has been alive.”