KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce appreciated his second-straight Pro Bowl nomination, but he made it abundantly clear that a trip to Orlando, Fla. for the game interferes with other plans he has the following weekend in Houston.
Tight end Travis Kelce races for extra yards during the team’s 21-13 win over the Oakland Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium Dec. 8, 2016. (Photo by Mike Gunnoe, The Topeka Capital-Journal)
“I feel like I’ve kind of been there and I’ve got my eyes on a different prize,” Kelce said. “It’s kind of routine right now that I’m not even thinking about it.”
The prize?
“The Super Bowl,” Kelce said. “Obviously the point’s not to be in Orlando, it’s to be in Houston.”
Kelce along with safety Eric Berry, cornerback Marcus Peters and wide receiver Tyreek Hill earned Pro Bowl nominations. Berry earned his fifth Pro Bowl honor. Marcus Peters now has two nominations in his first two seasons.
Hill earned a spot on the roster as a rookie as a return specialist. He owns touchdowns on both kick and punt returns, and leads this the league in punt return total yardage as well as yards per return. He also contributed offensively with 547 yards receiving and six touchdown catches. Hill added another 157 yards rushing and two more touchdowns on the ground.
The rookie said the Pro Bowl nod carries special meaning for him.
“At first I wasn’t even thinking about the Pro Bowl,” Hill said, “but then I started talking to a lot of people and they said to set big goals and that’s what I started doing. God made it happen.”
Kelce feels the Pro Bowl nomination reflect more than just his performance, instead sharing praise with quarterback Alex Smith and his teammates on offense and their performances.
“You kind of get the accolades off of that,” Kelce explained. “I can’t do it without Alex, the O-line and the receiver corps. It’s a testament to the guys around you.”
Hill may be just a rookie, but he understands Kelce’s feeling about hoping he can’t play in the game.
“It’s definitely an honor to go the Pro Bowl but we have a big goal here,” It’s the Super Bowl, everyone wants to make the big game.
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Matt Derrick is the lead beat writer for ChiefsDigest.com and the Topeka Capital-Journal. Use the contact page to reach him or find him on Twitter: @MattDerrick.
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