Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is no stranger to making headlines for various reasons. From being the trusted target of quarterback Patrick Mahomes for several years to his recent notoriety due to his relationship with pop superstar Taylor Swift, Kelce is a constant presence in the news.
However, he found himself at the center of attention for an entirely different and amusing reason last Friday, when he stepped up to the podium at a press conference donning the “Cy the Cyclone” headgear of the Iowa State mascot.
The reason behind Kelce’s unconventional choice of headwear can be traced back to a recent college football game. Iowa State emerged victorious over Cincinnati, where Kelce had played his college football. Kelce, a man of his word, decided to fulfill a bet he had made with Brad Gee, the vice president of communications for the Chiefs.
Kelce sported the Iowa State mascot headgear with a smile on his face, proudly declaring, “Go, Cyclones!” in light of Cincinnati’s 30-10 defeat.
While Kelce was all in good spirits about the friendly college bet with the Chiefs staffer, the team was all business as they prepared for their Week 7 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Even though the Chargers held a 2-3 record at this point in the season, most football enthusiasts believed that Justin Herbert and his teammates presented the best opportunity to challenge Kansas City in the AFC West.
Consequently, the Chiefs were determined to secure their sixth consecutive victory after an initial setback in their opening game against the Detroit Lions back in early September.
Travis Kelce walked into today’s presser repping Iowa State after the Cyclones beat Kelce’s alma mater, Cincinnati, last weekend 😂
— Matt McMullen (@KCChiefs_Matt) October 20, 2023
Kelce begrudgingly did it for @BradGee, the Chiefs’ VP of Communications and an ISU alum. pic.twitter.com/4eglbhNMlG
The core of the Kansas City offense revolves around Mahomes and Kelce. Mahomes had completed an impressive 153 of 224 passes, accumulating 1,593 yards with 11 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Kelce, as expected, was the Chiefs’ leading receiver, with 36 receptions for 346 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The Chiefs’ receiving corps received a boost this week as they reacquired Mecole Hardman in a trade with the New York Jets.
While there was hope that Hardman might be available to play against the Chargers, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy remained non-committal on that front, leaving fans eager to see how the Chiefs would fare in their upcoming matchup.