There’s been a lot to celebrate in Kansas City over the last six seasons as the Chiefs have advanced to the conference title game each year and won three of the four Super Bowls they have played in over that span.
All of the games involved in that run can take a toll on the bodies of the players who have been front and center for all of them. Tight end Travis Kelce is one of those players and he said on Saturday that he is cognizant of the impact of playing in as many games as the Chiefs have played.
“Last year was pretty taxing on my body,” Kelce said, via Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “I’ve had more snaps than a lot of guys if not everybody in the NFL over the past five, six years, and I’m very prideful of that, but I know it has taken a toll on my body. So it’s just making sure that my body’s getting that rest and that ability to train harder and be able to withstand an entire 17-to-20-game season.”
The Chiefs added Irv Smith in free agency and they drafted Jared Wiley in the fifth round to go with Kelce and Noah Gray at tight end. It remains to be seen if their presence will lead to any reduction in snaps for Kelce, but it’s hard to imagine the Chiefs doing much of anything to lessen Kelce’s central role in their offensive attack.