Travis Kelce admits injuries and Chiefs’ mid-season wobble left him mentally ‘in a darker room’ but insists he is healthy for the Super Bowl: ‘I’ve had to battle things more serious than this’
Travis Kelce has revealed how his battle with injuries this season – combined with the team’s post-bye struggles – left him mentally in a ‘darker room’ at times.
Kelce missed the opening game of the season with a knee hyperextension and also battled through an ankle sprain in October.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs went 4-4 to end the season as they limped into the playoffs following a 7-2 start.
‘Every single year is different and there have been years I’ve had to battle through things that frankly were a little bit more serious and a little bit more frustrating than what I had to go through this year,’ Kelce told reporters Friday.
‘But this year I think the fact that we weren’t winning piled up on how I was feeling physically and you can catch yourself in a darker room I guess. Being able to find some ways to win, rally with the group, find a way to win the division, find a way to get into the playoffs and get to where we are today makes it that much more fun. Every year has its own challenges, everyone is dealing with something, I promise you.’
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Travis Kelce said he had been in a ‘darker room’ at earlier points during this NFL seaso
Nonetheless, Kelce is off the Chiefs’ current injury report with the Super Bowl still more than a week away.
Rashee Rice, listed as having an ankle injury, practiced in full on Thursday while Isiah Pacheco logged a limited practice with a toe/ankle injury.
The 49ers’ George Kittle did not practice Thursday with a toe injury, while Arik Armstead (knee/foot) and Trent Williams (rest) were also held out.
Amid his relationship with Taylor Swift – and the success of his ‘New Heights’ podcast with his brother Jason – Kelce has been thrust even further into the limelight.
But the tight end said on Friday that he’s ‘always’ been comfortable in front of the camera, joking that the skill came from his mother, Donna, taking home videos of him as a child.
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Kelce has been thrust into the limelight amid his public romance with pop star Taylor Swift
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Quarterback Brock Purdy will look to knock off the Chiefs next weekend in Super Bowl LVIII
‘I’ve just been fortunate that I’ve been able to look into a camera with ease,’ he said. ‘Just having fun out there.’
There will be plenty of eyeballs watching Kelce and the Chiefs as they try to capture their third ring in six years next weekend.
Kelce, who last week broke Jerry Rice’s all-time postseason receptions record, has been in fine form in these playoffs, averaging 87.3 yards per contest.
But the 49ers are listed as slight 2-point favorites by the sportsbooks, and Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa and Brock Purdy will be tough to beat.
