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Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce is looking forward to ending the year on a high note as he prepares to face the Cincinnati Bengals on New Year's Eve.
Kelce, who leads the NFL in receiving yards with 1,455, returned home from Chiefs practice on Saturday evening, where he was greeted by his mother Donna Kelce, who flew in from Ohio to celebrate the new year with her son.
Donna Kelce, who is also the mother of Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, posted a photo on Instagram of her and Travis posing in front of his Kansas City mansion, with the caption: "Landed in KC to bring in 2024 with my son Travis and Taylor Swift."
Taylor Swift, the pop superstar, is scheduled to perform at the Arrowhead Stadium on New Year's Eve, as part of the NFL's celebration of its 100th season. Swift is a friend of Kelce, who appeared in her music video for "You Need to Calm Down" in 2019.
Kelce, who is dating model and TV personality Kayla Nicole, said he is excited to watch Swift's performance, but his main focus is on the game against the Bengals, who are leading the AFC North with a 10-5 record.
The Chiefs, who have clinched the AFC West title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, are riding a nine-game winning streak and are looking to extend their dominance over the Bengals, who they have beaten in their last five meetings.
Kelce, who has 11 touchdowns this season, said he expects a tough challenge from the Bengals defense, especially from safety Jessie Bates III, who leads the team with 97 tackles and three interceptions.
"He's a great player, he's always around the ball, he's always making plays," Kelce said of Bates. "He's definitely someone we have to account for and try to make sure he doesn't ruin our day."
Kelce said he is confident in his chemistry with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has thrown for 4,509 yards and 35 touchdowns this season, and is aiming to break the single-season record for passing yards by a Chiefs player, which is held by Trent Green with 4,591 yards in 2004.
"We have a great connection, we have a great understanding of each other, we have a great trust in each other," Kelce said of Mahomes. "We just try to go out there and make plays for each other and for the team."
Kelce said he is grateful for the support of his family, his teammates, and his fans, and he hopes to reward them with a victory on New Year's Eve.
"It's been an amazing year, a lot of ups and downs, a lot of challenges, but also a lot of fun," Kelce said. "I'm just thankful for everything and everyone in my life, and I'm ready to go out there and give it my all."
