Travis Kelce’s NFL Advice Helps Explain Why He’s So Successful

While the 2023 NFL season has pushed his stardom to new heights, Travis Kelce isn’t new to the spotlight. The tight end joined the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013 and, after missing virtually his entire rookie year, promptly found his stride.

Since then, No. 87 hasn’t missed a beat; he now stands tall as a two-time Super Bowl champion and one of the greatest tight ends that pro football has ever known.

But have you ever wondered what makes Kelce so good? Is he just a naturally gifted talent who happened to have the perfect blend of speed and size? Or is there something more at play?

Well, now we have a bit more perspective. At the end of the Chiefs’ victory over the Chargers, LA rookie Scott Matlock pulled Kelce aside and asked him for some advice.

Let’s roll the tape and consider what he said.

Understanding Both Sides of the Ball

From afar, it’s easy to assume that professional football players are dumb jocks. A clip from Inside the NFL, however, showed a more nuanced side of the on-field interactions.

Kelce was mic’d up for the game against the Chargers and, after the contest, that microphone captured a conversation between one of LA’s rookies. Things started out with some cliched statements—Matlock said he was a big fan of Kelce, and the tight end noted his appreciation, told the Chargers to keep fighting and said he’d see them again soon—before things got real. The young defensive end asked if No. 87 had any advice for a rookie, and, at that point, Kelce opened up.

“You know what it is,” he explained. “Understand the other side of the ball just as well as you know your side of the ball. You feel me? Because everything is predicated off of what I’m doing and what the defense is doing.”

The tight end then concluded with another more cliched comment—he remarked that he loved Sunday’s game and advised Matlock to play with the guy next to him—before the two parted ways.

They spoke for fewer than 30 seconds, but there’s still some valuable insight to pull from Kelce’s comments.

Kelce Has the Right Balance Between Fun and Smarts

While it’s easy to write off most of Kelce’s postgame quotes—you could almost hear when he flipped the switch to stop speaking in platitudes—the tight end provided some valuable insight into his success.

Balance looms large.

Early into his conversation with Matlock, No. 87 said that “You have to have some fun with it. Good vibes baby.” And if you’ve seen Kelce celebrate a victory or sit behind the microphone with his brother, it’s clear that he knows how to let loose.

That’s not to say that he’s just partying every day besides Sunday. The modern great also highlighted the importance of understanding the game. You aren’t going to truly know what happens on the other side of the ball by osmosis; genuine knowledge requires time and effort.

And lest you believe that Kelce is only talking a big game, consider how he’s found NFL success. He is an incredible athlete, but the tight end also has the license to improvise on his routes. Once he discerns the defense’s weak point, he’ll make his way to that spot.

Consider the victory over the Chargers that preceded the chat with Matlock. Kelce had an eye-popping 12 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown. There was plenty of athleticism at play—you don’t break off a 53-yard play without some skills—but there was also some smart football going on.

As Tony Romo highlighted during the broadcast, LA spent a good portion of the game running a zone defense and providing Kansas City’s receivers with a cushion at the line of scrimmage. Kelce, noticing that reality, found plenty of success camping out in the zone’s dead spot.

After the contest, Patrick Mahomes provided a bit of context to No. 87’s success.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s a lot of things,” the quarterback explained. “But I think the main thing is how he’s able to recognize coverage and adjust on the fly. We always talk about it, but it’s something that you can’t take for granted.

“It’s almost like he’s playing Madden, like he can read the coverage, stop in the windows, be open and be on the same page as me at all times. He did a great job. He does it week in and week out, and that’s why he’s the player he is and he’ll be a Hall-of-Famer one day.”

That, in slightly different words, highlights Kelce’s knowledge of the defensive side of the ball. He’s able to unpack what he’s seeing and use it to his advantage in real time.

Does having incredible natural talent help? Sure. Is playing alongside an immensely gifted quarterback an added advantage? Of course.

Those circumstances, however, can only do so much. Kelce, at the end of the day, has done his homework. And that’s what takes a very good player to the next level of greatness.