Mahomes and Kelce high-five during a Chiefs game / Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are magnets for attention. Being star players on a team that has gone to four Super Bowls in five years (winning three) will do that to you. Kelce hosting a very popular podcast and [dating one of the world's biggest pop stars in Taylor Swift](https://www.si.com/nfl/travis-kelce-eras-tour-taylor-swift) only ups the level of attention.
Mahomes spoke about Kelce in a recent press conference, giving him high praise for one key aspect of his game: His work ethic. He specifically said he feels like Kelce's portrayal in the media misses that.
"Everybody sees like the personality on the TV and stuff like that. But you don't see that everyday work ethic that he has. I mean he's the guy that gets mad when they take him out of practice reps. ... Even for me, to come into the league and have a superstar player and see him work like that, it kind of showed me that I'm gonna have to put that work ethic in if I'm going to get to that level."
It's a timely reaction to Kelce's role on the offense and his unquestioned assessment over Kelce's level of commitment since the tight end is performing down a bit this year, relative to his standards. He's on pace for a career-low in touchdowns and his third-worst receiving yardage season, excluding his rookie year where he played just one game.
As for his media portrayal, Kelce is often painted as a fun, carefree kind of player. Clearly, Mahomes thinks that portrayal misses the mark since there's a lot of work that goes in behind the scenes.
Kelce may not achieve his ninth-straight Pro Bowl this year with his numbers, but he clearly still has respect of his peers in Kansas City, who are barrelling their way to another playoff appearance.