When the lights are shining the brightest, Travis Kelce always seems to know what to do.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end has made some of his best plays in the biggest moments during the team’s back-to-back Super Bowl runs, and is at it again as they quest for a three-peat.
But Kelce’s ability to get open in the biggest moment’s in a game isn’t just a feat of athleticism nor dumb luck—it’s the result of meticulous focus and practice. As former NFL pro Kyle Long explained on Kevin Clark’s This Is Football, Kelce has a unique practice routine that helps him for just such moments.
Long said that when the Chiefs offense isn’t on the field, Kelce moves over to the field where the kickers work, and puts in some time on his routes all his own, in a process that is meticulous.
"He would walk through, sometimes I’d see him over there with his eyes closed, at maybe a quarter speed, going through his routes, getting different situations for a Y choice route, working through his footwork,” Long said. “He takes that portion of the mental game and pairs it with technique.
“He takes that, and he brings it back to the live periods, and you watch him work this stuff. He incrementally ramps it up until Sunday, and what we see on Sunday is a guy who makes it look easy time and time again.”
Long stressed that while Kelce made it look easy, he was putting in the work, and then some. He also expressed how impressed he was that Kelce did this practice stretch all on his own.
“There’s no assistant coach with him. There’s nobody with a bag. There’s nobody. He’s just over there in his own little world,” Long said. “I guess it’s a form of meditation, visualization, all the -ations, Travis does them. I guess that’s why he can stay grounded through all that is Travis Kelce’s life.”
I asked @Ky1eLong why Travis Kelce is always open in big moments. The answer is practice: Kelce goes to a separate field and do slow, thoughtful version of his routes alone.
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) January 20, 2025
This was so good and a nugget I've never heard before. This is how players get great. Watch this: pic.twitter.com/Lkqhg1xMdH
Indeed, Kelce might not be as fast as he once was, but his play in the biggest moments in undeniable, and his tendency to shine when the spotlight is brightest was on full display in the Chiefs’ win over the Texans in the divisional round.
More of the Latest Around the NFL
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Travis Kelce’s Secret to Getting Open on Big Plays Is Slow, Private Practice Sessions.
