Travis Kelce credits Patrick Mahomes for making major career decision

In August, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce acknowledged that he was "proud" of the way that Patrick Mahomes "handled adversity from last year to right now" amid the quarterback's recovery from the torn ACL and torn LCL he suffered on Dec. 14, 2025.

It now appears that Mahomes will be good to go for the Chiefs' Week 1 "Monday Night Football" home game versus the rival Denver Broncos on Sept. 14. During the latest edition of his "New Heights" podcast, Kelce once again touched upon what he has seen from his good friend and his team's QB1 over the past handful of months.

Patrick Mahomes "a huge reason" Travis Kelce is playing this season

"I could see the determination," Kelce said about Mahomes, per Perry Miller Carpenter of Heavy. "I could see the frustration in his mind that it got to this point this year. And, you know, that was — that’s a huge reason why I’m still playing the game because I know that guy. Like, I want to be there for that guy, you know, in every aspect of the game."

Kelce was the subject of retirement rumors this past winter, but he decided he would run it back for what some expect will be a "Last Dance" NFL season. 

As for Mahomes' Week 1 status, Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy revealed on Wednesday that there is no "potentially" and that the three-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player is "back" in time to play against Denver. 

"We get a fresh start," Kelce said about the Chiefs attempting to put their 6-11 2025 season behind them. 

Travis Kelce: Patrick Mahomes is "the most important position in football"

As Jared Sapp of Arrowhead Pride and others have noted, the Chiefs' offensive line is a concern heading into Week 1. Kelce knows that unit will have to be at its best for the Chiefs to make a return to the playoffs. 

"A lot of the season is dictated on how good the quarterback plays, and that’s every team at every level, which is why there’s that golden rule: Don’t touch the quarterback, don’t hit the quarterback, because that’s the guy that’s going to help catapult your team into victory in a lot of different ways," Kelce added during the podcast episode. "And he’s the most important position in football." 

How often opposing players "touch" Mahomes through January could determine whether or not Kelce hoists the Vince Lombardi Trophy once again in February.