Entering Week 15 at 6-8 last season, the writing on the wall was clear for the Kansas City Chiefs: they had officially stepped into a do-or-die situation. Franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his partner in crime, tight end Travis Kelce, had not looked like themselves throughout the season, but with that duo still on the field meant anything was possible.

Lady luck simply wasn’t smiling at them. To further twist the knife in the Chiefs’ guts was Mahomes going down with an ACL and LCL tear. Then there was Kelce contemplating his retirement when the team was already down and broken. To everyone’s bliss, he returned for his 14th season this year for the very reason we had already predicted in January. Now, he has put words behind that thought.

“I could see the frustration in his mind that it got to this point this year,” Kelce said on the New Heights Podcast. “And you know, that’s a huge reason why I’m still playing the game because I know that guy.

“I want to be there for that guy in every aspect of the game. I think that’s exciting coming into the year. We get a fresh start, and we’re a motivated group, baby.”

Understanding why the two felt the way they did isn’t surprising. With Mahomes rescuing the team, KC had represented the AFC in five of the last eight Super Bowls, winning three, and had never missed the postseason with him under center. Seeing that modern dynasty in the making crumble last season before it was even over would, of course, be hard. To Kelce, it was even more so disheartening.

Kelce has been with KC since 2013 and had only seen the team rise. But last season, he watched it die, saw his quarterback go down, and learned that KC was planning to move to another stadium while he wondered whether he should hang up his cleats for good. It felt like the end of an era. It was the end of an era. Most importantly, it was because he realized he may never end his final season with Mahomes throwing to him.

Since Mahomes took over as the primary signal-caller, Kelce has become his top TE target. But if Kelce were to retire after last season, his last catch with Mahomes would’ve been in December, not the usual February that they had gotten used to. And the reason is simple: they have a telepathic connection.

If Kelce saw Mahomes under pressure, he would get himself open, and with the QB’s 360-degree vision in play, the ball would be in Kelce’s hands somehow. Their production and chemistry on the field are unmatched by any. That isn’t just because of all the years of practice they put in. Kelce, in fact, explained it himself:

“What he’s been to my career up to this point, you can’t measure it,” Kelce had said in December last year. “It’s all the little things that you see manifest out there onto the field that we’re working on every single week, every single offseason.”

Previously, Kelce had mentioned that his family, including his wife, Taylor Swift, was the reason for his return. Now that he has confessed to how Mahomes played a big role in that decision, though, the team is certainly ready to tackle their rebound season together.

Entering 2026, the Chiefs are looking for a rebound season. Kelce is back, and the team has welcomed back their former OC Eric Bieniemy, who helped Kelce become the legendary tight end we see today. Most importantly, Mahomes is up and running, as Kelce shared a health update on him.

Travis Kelce reveals Patrick Mahomes’ current status and availability

When Mahomes went down in Week 15, he knew he couldn’t play anymore or help the team. The best the franchise could’ve done, and did do, was get him under the knife to return by the next season. Mahomes didn’t waste any time either.

By the next day, Mahomes was already researching and undergoing tests to get his ACL and LCL repaired. He immediately underwent surgery to repair both a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and a torn lateral collateral ligament (LCL) in his left knee. Ahead of him next was a six to nine months, at least, or rehab. He had already promised to return by Week 1. He returned long before that.

On July 24, 2026, the 30-year-old QB was cleared to practice and participate in training camp. While we have seen him throw and complete drills with the rest of the squad, Travis Kelce had a firsthand glimpse of a recovered Patrick Mahomes and shared his honest thoughts on the quarterback’s performance with his brother Jason on the New Heights Podcast.

“Oh, Paty Mahomes, man. He’s out there slinging the ball, man,” Kelce added. “It doesn’t matter if your quarterback is coming off an injury or not. He’s got on the special jersey. You got to stay away from the QB. A lot of the season is dictated on how, you know, how good that quarterback plays. That being said, Pat looks f**king awesome right now.

“I think right now he’s on top of the reads. He’s getting the ball out. He’s, you know, anytime he does get out of the pocket, he’s making great throws. And I think it’s going to take getting in there and feeling the bullets flying for him to feel comfortable in what he’s doing. And it’s our job as his teammates to make sure he feels comfortable, you know, whenever that opportunity comes.”

In KC’s preseason, Mahomes did not take any snaps while Kelce played against the reigning champions, the Seattle Seahawks. But the QB is certain about how he wants to see the coming weeks unfold.

“Being able to go out there, day after day, and have the grind of a camp, that can even be harder than the [regular] season,” Mahomes said a few days back. “It’s been awesome for me to be able to do that. It’s exciting. I didn’t know if I was going to have to take days off, but my body has responded the right way.”

After a week, Travis Kelce will be entering his 14th NFL season. On the other hand, a recovered and motivated Patrick Mahomes will come out for his tenth NFL season. Together, they will hope to bring the Chiefs back to their winning ways to prove that 2025 was just a one-off case and not a habit they want to continue. Will they be able to turn the tide for the Chiefs in the 2026 season?