Travis Kelce Says He’s Not on ‘Same Page’ as Patrick Mahomes

The Kansas City Chiefs keep finding ways to win games, but Travis Kelce certainly isn’t happy with how things are going. 

Kelce, 35, and the Chiefs are 11-1, tied with the Detroit Lions for the top spot in the NFL. However, following another close call against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, December 1 — in which the Raiders botched a snap in the game’s closing moments — the star tight end vented his frustrations and discussed his lack of chemistry with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. 

“Where I take a lot of pride is once we get in that red zone, man,” Travis said on the Wednesday, December 4, episode of his and brother Jason Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast. “I get a little hungrier. Right now, for whatever reason this year, I just can’t find my way in the end zone. I’m just not on the same page as Pat. It can get frustrating. It can get f—ing frustrating. That’s for damn sure.”

Travis caught seven passes for a total of 68 yards against the Raiders on Sunday, though he went without a touchdown for the third consecutive game. The tight end has only two touchdowns on the season through the team’s first 12 games.  He has never finished with fewer than four touchdowns in a season.

“I know you hold yourself to a really high standard,” Jason, 37, told him on the podcast. “I think you’re being a little hard on yourself.”

Travis credited the Raiders — who upset the Chiefs on Christmas Day last season — with coming into Arrowhead Stadium with another well-executed game plan.

“They had a good understanding of what we were trying to do and how to stop us and how to slow us down,” Travis said. “They eliminated a lot of the big-time plays that we had. On top of that, keep us out of the end zone. That was the biggest thing for me.”

The Chiefs ultimately escaped with a 19-18 victory after a chaotic finish in which Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell fumbled an early snap with his team in field goal range, which was recovered by the Chiefs, ending the game. It was the eighth consecutive loss for the Raiders, dropping them to 2-10 on the season. 

Travis called the crushing defeat something the Raiders “just have to live with and learn from.”

He added, “Even great teams slip up and have those mishaps. They played us great all game.”

“Teams that are good teams don’t make these mistakes, especially in critical moments,” Jason added. “This is something that the Chiefs have been unbelievable with, and it’s a big reason you guys have only lost one game. You guys are just very, very smart in the most critical moments of it.”

The Chiefs return to action Sunday, December 8, against the Los Angeles Chargers. Travis’ next touchdown will set the all-time record for touchdown receptions by a Chiefs player, breaking a tie with Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez.