Travis Kelce Discusses a Possible KC Chiefs Dynasty, Patriots Influence
The Kansas City Chiefs have one goal in mind this week but if they manage to achieve it, the result will have a ripple effect on their standing in history.
Should Andy Reid's team defeat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, it would be the first time in nearly two decades that a franchise won back-to-back championships. Additionally, it would give Kansas City its third Super Bowl win in the last five seasons. That's rarefied air for any team, let alone one in a modern NFL that's focused on parity and competition above all else.
Would that third ring bring the Chiefs to dynasty status? Tight end Travis Kelce weighed in on that this week with Sunday's big game approaching.
"I think it's been thrown around a lot," Kelce said. "And obviously, it being our third in five years, I think the number three is a big number in terms of dynasties and things like that. Hopefully, we can get this thing and you guys can start talking about dynasties. I'm trying to get this third ring, though."
Kelce himself has been around for the entirety of Reid's tenure with the franchise. The All-Pro tight end has made the playoffs in all but one of his professional seasons, although actual success didn't come until quarterback Patrick Mahomes entered the fold. Since the 2018 season, the worst the Chiefs have done is reach overtime of the AFC Championship Game. One of those two losses was to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, something Kelce has experienced a pair of times in his career.
Of course, that Patriots team went on to win the Super Bowl following the 2018 season's conference title game triumph over the Chiefs. In all, Brady won six rings during his time with New England spanning from 2001-2019. They managed to win three championships in a five-year span twice, clustering their victories together for the most part. Kelce, drawing comparisons to that period of football, admits that he gains inspiration from trying to replicate something similar now.
"Well yeah, they set the standard of dominance in the NFL," Kelce said. "And I was a part of that and felt that dominance in 2015, I think, when I lost to them and then again in 2017, I believe, or '18. Seeing what those guys are all about, you know? I think one of the funnest things this year that I've been able to kind of dive into is Games With Names with Julian Edelman, his podcast, and how he brings some of those ex-Patriots on to talk what he calls war stories and fun stories between him and the guys throughout their Patriot years. I tell you what, man, I dive into those things and get every bit of nugget of gold that I can. And, obviously, it's entertaining stuff knowing Julian is the one telling the stories."
While it's unclear whether Kansas City will become the more modern Patriots, this Mahomes, Reid and Kelce-led team is the closest thing the football world has seen to it. Even after the worst regular season of the Mahomes era, the end result is more of the same. With a shot at history hanging in the balance, the stakes are high for the league's most successful recent team. If you've heard Kelce talk about how much he wants this Super Bowl ring, you'd know the chase for No. 3 is on.
