Even though the Cleveland Browns have blossomed into a team that should be taken seriously, many still think of the franchise as a joke. After all, the Browns went through a long stretch of ineptitude before finally seeing the light of the playoffs for the first time since 2002 during the 2021 NFL season.  If you need any more convincing that the Browns are legit contenders in the AFC, then Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce might change your mind.

Via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal:

“They’re definitely a contender, without a doubt,” Chiefs All-Pro tight end and Cleveland Heights native Travis Kelce said of the Browns. “It’s definitely there. Baker [Mayfield] and the gang have upped the ante, made this team an unbelievable team and a team you have to prepare for and take serious. I think that moving forward without a doubt, I can see a lot more playoff games between us, and I’ll just take it one day at a time and hope for it. I think the Browns and Chiefs are definitely neck and neck.”

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That's so nice to hear if you're a Browns fan, but also remember that Kelce is from Cleveland, so you have to make use of your bias translation machine. Then again, Kelce saw first-hand how capable the Browns are.

The Chiefs defeated Cleveland in the AFC divisional round in the 2020 NFL season by just five points (22-17), and with the Browns expected to get even better, Kelce is understandably wary of what Baker Mayfield and company could do in the near future.