Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is in his villain era (also known as his Reputation era, for any Swifties out there).
The Chiefs are currently on top of the world after finally punching their ticket to Super Bowl LIX, but they've felt inevitable all season. And fans of competing franchises aren't having it; so-called "Chiefs fatigue" is the talk of the town as of late, and the team can't get through a game without someone calling out the officiating as K.C.-friendly. In other words, there are a lot of haters who would love to see the dynasty fall, or at least wobble, with a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the big game.
Kelce isn't bothered by it, though.
Asked on New Heights if he and his teammates enjoy the villain narrative that has emerged, Kelce confidently replies, "I love it. At one point in time, it wasn't that."
"You guys were the darling of the NFL," Jason, Kelce's brother and co-host, adds. "You're now the heel."
"I'm enjoying doing this with the guys that we have in there because it's like it just makes us even more of a family," the tight end continues. "You just circle the wagons. People are saying whatever they want and they're hating on you, you just banded together and it just makes you appreciate more of what you have. Because people want what you have."
Watch that answer below:
The Chiefs are in their villain era and Trav is loving it pic.twitter.com/oKZ5B09nmC
— New Heights (@newheightshow) January 29, 2025
Of course, Kelce is right; heavy is the hand that wins three Super Bowl in four seasons. And people always love to hate on whoever is winning, usually because they can't beat them themselves. The Tom Brady New England Patriots should tell you everything you need to know about that.
So so long as the Chiefs keep that in mind, they should be more than able to block out the noise ahead of the game, when they'll aim for that unprecedented third straight victory. At least for Kelce, haters equals motivators.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Travis Kelce Says He Loves That the Chiefs Are the 'Villains' of the NFL.
