Before games, as the Kansas City Chiefs go through their practice protocol β 10 plays for the offense against the scout-team defense, and vice-versa β Kelce is a man unto himself, locked into the task at hand and transfixed during what would otherwise be dead periods.
He paces and stutter-steps, cutting in and out of imaginary breaks, running through plays in his head while talking to himself.
No one disturbs him. No one questions him. He takes everything seriously. How he practices, and how he goes about his day is incredible to see. One of only 14 players, and three tight ends, to have recorded more than 1, career receptions, Kelce will go down as an all-time great. Many players in his age bracket regularly take days off, in training camp and during the season, but Kelce refuses to do either.
Even when Kansas City coach Andy Reid or his assistants suggest scaling back his reps in a given practice, Kelce pushes back. And that bleeds into the entire team. Early in the game, second-year punt returner Nikko Remigio called for a fair catch despite having some room between him and the Bills players charging toward him.
On his next return opportunity, in the second quarter, Remigio raced 41 yards, setting up a touchdown that gave Kansas City a lead. He clearly relishes his role as an organizational standard-bearer, especially in light of the way he began his career, and how far he has come in terms of his professionalism.
