To what really should be no surprise, the Kansas City Chiefs are headed to Super Bowl 58 to face the San Francisco 49ers. And of course, coming with them will be their prized quarterback, Patrick Mahomes.
How can Patrick Mahomes not be the x-factor for Super Bowl 58?
Mahomes will be looking to not only win his third Super Bowl title before the age of 30, but he'll also be looking to capture his third Super Bowl MVP. The 28-year-old continues to build upon his legacy through the Chiefs dynasty, to which he became a centerpiece. Year by year, his legend grows to the likes of which we have never truly seen before.
Overall, this will be Mahomes' fourth overall Super Bowl appearance and his first chance at a repeat after Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ruined that back in 2020. That would be another accolade for the already overly accomplished quarterback.
So, with that said, how could the x-factor in Super Bowl 58 for the Chiefs not be who is now considered the greatest quarterback of this generation? The player who continually denies all his peers, like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and others, from their own opportunity to compete for championships.
Well, you should probably look no further than someone who has been with Mahomes throughout his entire career to date, someone with whom he owns records. That, of course, is veteran tight end Travis Kelce.
Travis Kelce is the x-factor for the Chiefs in Super Bowl 58
Whether it was the distraction of his new girlfriend Taylor Swift and his infatuation with her or the media circus it brought with their relationship, Travis Kelce did not have his best year in the league in 2023 during the regular season. But it likely wasn't all to do with his famous pop singer girlfriend. Kelce turned 34 years old during the middle of the season, and his football age was starting to show.
After Super Bowl 58, the Chiefs tight end will have played for 11 seasons, participating in 159 regular-season games and 22 playoff games. That's a lot of wear and tear on the body for a player that never missed more than three games in a single season and was a constant target for Mahomes.
This was the first season that Kelce hadn't accrued at least 1,000 yards receiving since his third year in the league, according to Pro-Football-Reference. He was just shy with 984 yards. His yards per reception was also down to 10.6, the lowest of his career.
But then the playoffs started.
Travis Kelce turned it on during the NFL playoffs
In the Chiefs' three playoff games during their current run, Kelce has 23 receptions for 262 yards at an 11.4 yards-per-reception rate with three touchdowns and 14 first downs. Kelce only has more touchdowns in two other playoff appearances, which resulted in two Super Bowl victories in 2019 and 2022. He already has more yards than in both of those postseasons. Kelce could potentially match or better some of his best playoff numbers in Super Bowl 58, including some other legendary records also.
With rumors swirling that this could be the final game of Kelce's career, he's making the most of the last of his playing career with this playoff run, only seeming to get better by the game. He's come up huge for Mahomes and the Chiefs, making unbelievable catches that resemble the Travis Kelce of old. He was phenomenal against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game, catching all of his 11 targets for 116 yards and a touchdown. He had most of that by the first half.
With what could be Kelce and Mahomes' last ride together, it should be expected that the veteran tight end will give it his all in Super Bowl 58. That makes him the ultimate x-factor for the Chiefs.
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