Chiefs’ Travis Kelce in his ‘sanctuary’ preparing for Super Bowl three-peat quest

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – After an offseason filled with glitz and glamour of touring with his ultra-famous girlfriend, Taylor Swift, there’s no place quite like an Andy Reid training camp for Travis Kelce to kick back into pure football mode.

“This is my sanctuary,” the Kansas City Chiefs star tight end said after Saturday’s padded practice at Missouri Western State University.

“St. Joe, Year 12. That means I’ve spent just about an entire year of my life up here in the dorms. Everybody may say that is pretty grueling, but I enjoy it. There’s something about this place to get you ready every single year and I’m not going to lie, I got pretty excited as the time started counting down to get out here and get this thing rolling.”

Reid runs one of the NFL’s most physically demanding training camps, which include the signature marathon drives that test endurance and greeted the Chiefs when they conducted their first full-pads session on Friday.

Kelce, 34, has come to appreciate such an approach – and there’s no argument about the results that include three Super Bowl triumphs in the past five seasons and the challenge facing the Chiefs this season to become the first three-peat Super Bowl winner.

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“This is where it all starts,” Kelce said. “This is where you find out what you’re made of, how you sharpen the iron, how your guys practice, your practice habits, the attention to detail. And nobody does it better than Coach Reid.”

Kelce knows. As he advances in age, the wear-and-tear of his demanding occupation is undeniable. Sure, he was at his best when it mattered the most last season, dominating during the stretch run with 32 catches for 355 yards with 3 TDs during the four-game postseason. Yet after missing the season opener in 2023 with a bruised knee, he posted his fewest TDs (5) since 2019 and went into the playoffs with a six-game scoring drought.