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Travis Kelce Reveals Physical Condition Before Chiefs-Texans

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Jan 17, 2025 9:26 AM ET

The last time Travis Kelce was in action was on Christmas Day when the Kansas City Chiefs secured a 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. The All-Pro tight end did not play in the two-time defending champs' final regular game of the season, which turned out to be a 38-0 loss against the Denver Broncos.

This means that by the time the Chiefs, who are coming off a first-round bye, return to action on Saturday in the Divisional Round against the Houston Texans, it would be over three weeks since Kelce has had any game action.

In this light, his brother Jason Kelce had to question the Chiefs star about his physical condition following an extended break. When asked whether or not he was a bit "too fresh," Travis Kelce shut down any worries about his current physical state.

"I've been getting after it," Travis Kelce said during Wednesday's episode of their "New Heights" podcast. "Never too fresh. You gotta keep the wear and tear on the body. You can't let your body get out of the zone. You know what I mean? You gotta stay in the zone."

Travis Kelce, 35, then revealed that he's been keeping busy in practice with the Chiefs. In fact, they had one practice in pads this week in preparation for Saturday's contest.

"That keeps you in the groove," he continued. "That keeps you feeling football. It keeps you kinda having that endurance, that muscle memory that you need to come out and play fast."

Sometimes, the extended period of rest can prove to be counterproductive -- especially against a team with momentum on their side. The Texans are coming off a dominant 32-12 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round on Saturday, and they will surely want to keep their foot on the gas against the Chiefs.

Kelce and Co. have been in this position before, though, and they know exactly what to do to get themselves ready for Saturday's showdown.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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