"Got my a** handed": When Travis Kelce battled through a tough leap from QB to TE

Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes are one of the most successful tight end-quarterback partnerships in the history of the NFL. But it might've never happened if, during his college career, Kelce did not make the switch to the tight end position. He was originally a quarterback.

While he blossomed and developed into one of the greatest of all time in the position, he had to remind himself not to give up at the first obstacles. A few years ago, in 2016, Kelce remembered how difficult the position switch was during a letter penned to The Players' Tribune:

After getting my a*s handed to me in practice a few times, I really started hitting the weights. It became clear that I needed to get much stronger if I was going to do this. I think early on it was important that I didn’t let the learning process really discourage me. Even when I was getting beat every day, I would stay positive by telling myself stuff like "Listen, I’m every bit as good as this guy across from me". The thing is, you are every bit of what you think of yourself. If you think you can improve, it’ll happen.

With three Super Bowls to his name, a career that has spanned for over a decade and seven All-Pro selections, it's safe to say that the switch has worked out. Once he retires, Kelce is surely going to become a first-ballot Hall of Famer with his accolades.

How is Travis Kelce performing in the 2024 season?

He's having career lows in plenty of statistics, such as yards per reception (8.5), touchdowns (2) and yards per game (52.5). However, that's fully expected considering he's been playing since the 2013 season and is already 35 years of age.

He has been an important player nevertheless, making key contributions such as the third-down reception against the Los Angeles Chargers late in the Chiefs' Week 14 Sunday Night Football win.

His official numbers this season put him with 80 catches and 682 receiving yards. Even if he's not performing at an elite level anymore, he's still an important part of the offense.