If the 2023 NFL season has had a main character, it’s been Travis Kelce.
And the Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s star power has only been magnified in the leadup to Super Bowl LVIII as he looks to even further enhance his reputation with the perfect ending to his love story.
Even with just hours to go until kickoff, Kelce’s legend continues to grow. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Monday Morning Quarterback’s Albert Breer provided some insight into Kansas City’s pregame preparations, which included speeches from head coach Andy Reid, star defensive tackle Chris Jones and Kelce — with the message from the All-Pro tight end apparently stealing the show.
“‘Unbelievable’ and ‘powerful’, according to people in the room, to the point where some teammates were moved to tears,” Breer wrote of Kelce’s speech, before later adding, “Another coach got back to me on Travis Kelce’s address: ‘Not even close. The best talk/speech I’ve ever heard.'”
Another coach got back to me on Travis Kelce’s address: “Not even close. The best talk/speech I’ve ever heard.” https://t.co/v475wTwAeI
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) February 11, 2024
You already see the narrative taking shape.
If the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, further cementing their status as a dynasty, Kelce’s pregame speech will undoubtedly be credited as a reason why. It won’t matter how the Cincinnati product plays, or that Kansas City has the best quarterback maybe ever; many will surely convince themselves that the Chiefs couldn’t possibly have won a third Super Bowl title in five years without their star tight end giving his impassioned speech 24 hours earlier.
And in the event Kansas City wins in dramatic fashion with Kelce being a key contributor, watch out. When all is said and done, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the pregame speech join the ranks of Joe Namath’s guarantee or Joe Montana pointing John Candy out to his teammates in Super Bowl lore.
I’m not questioning Breer or his sources — I fully believe that Kelce gave a helluva speech on Saturday night. I’m just pointing out that it’s awfully convenient that a player who is following Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s blueprint is now set up for a potential Hollywood ending.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.