If the San Francisco 49ers want to win their first Super Bowl since 1995, they might want to heed the advice of former Carolina Panthers star Luke Kuechly about Travis Kelce.
The 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and five-time First-Team All-Pro recently appeared in the Up & Adams show by Kay Adams to examine one particular tendency of the Kansas City Chiefs tight end.
“Nothing he really does is on script. You try to study as much as you can, you try to anticipate routes. He runs normal routes, he runs fades. He can find a window, move out of a window. He has the freedom to find space and sit down,” said Kuechly.
“You have to keep your eyes on Travis. You can’t take your eyes off him and look at (Patrick) Mahomes. Once you lose sight of him, Mahomes knows that, Kelce knows that,” added Kuechly.
The Travis Kelce-Patrick Mahomes connection has been one of the most potent one-two punches in the NFL in the last few years. Together, they have won two Super Bowls and are aiming for their third on February 11th.
As if slowing down Travis Kelce is not enough, keeping an eye on him and Patrick Mahomes at the same time is such a big ask for defenders. But if there’s one team that can do it, it is the San Francisco 49ers, who have the likes of Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, and Chase Young.
Travis Kelce against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game
In the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the Baltimore Ravens, Travis Kelce recorded one touchdown and caught 11 passes for 116 yards, including the first touchdown of the contest, to give the Kansas City Chiefs an early lead after catching three passes from Patrick Mahomes on the opening 10-play drive.
In the process, Travis Kelce broke Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice’s record for most receptions in the NFL playoffs. The nine-time Pro Bowler has 156 playoff catches under his CV, and that number is expected to increase on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.
Travis Kelce is also on the verge of breaking yet another NFL postseason record. After receiving his 19th career playoff touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens, he is now four shy of surpassing Jerry Rice’s 22.