The Kansas City Chiefs won’t take the field on Sunday as they prepare for a trip to Jacksonville to face the Jaguars on “Monday Night Football.”
The team is coming off its best win of the season so far, a 37-20 domination of the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4, which marked their second consecutive victory and improved their record to 2-2.
While the Chiefs are idle on Sunday, the day carries special significance as it’s star tight end Travis Kelce’s 36th birthday. The team celebrated him on social media, posting: “Wishing the happiest of birthdays to the human exclamation point. We hope it’s your best year yet, [Travis Kelce].”
Travis Kelce has spent his entire NFL career with Kansas City, and following last season’s Super Bowl loss, there was speculation he might retire. He ultimately decided to return for his 13th season, motivated by the pursuit of a fourth Lombardi Trophy.
His role with the Chiefs isn’t quite what it was three or four seasons ago, when he seemed to be targeted nearly every play, but he still commands attention whenever he’s on the field.
Currently, Kelce plays just over half of the team’s offensive snaps, largely because Chiefs head coach Andy Reid wants to limit unnecessary hits and preserve him for the most crucial moments down the stretch of the season and into the playoffs.
“He came back, and he’d really trained hard and aggressively for this thing. He’s such a big part of it—not only his effort, but the mentality he brings to these games. He’s all in all the time. He gets mad at me, but it’s my responsibility to make sure we don’t overdo it, to give him a break here and there. He’d play every snap if he could,” Reid said. “The message is clear: the Chiefs are prioritizing long-term performance over short-term volume.”