EXCLUSIVE: Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce have won three Super Bowls together, and the duo are looking to win a fourth in 2025 thanks to their talent, winning mentality, and willingness to learn
19:00 ET, 27 Oct 2025
Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes will go down as one of the greatest tandems in NFL history
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Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes will go down as one of the greatest tandems in NFL history(Image: Getty Images)
Patrick Mahomes is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. Travis Kelce is one of the greatest tight ends to ever play the game.
The duo, who own a restaurant together, have naturally emerged as one of the most devastating tandems to grace the NFL. They have connected for 18 touchdowns — an NFL record for any duo — and have led the Kansas City Chiefs to three Super Bowl titles across their career together.
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When the Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV, defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Miami to secure their first ring, Mahomes was protected by Mitchell Schwartz. The former First-Team All-Pro dominated edge-rushers during his five-year stay in Kansas City, keeping Mahomes upright to connect with the likes of Kelce and Tyreek Hill.
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Since then, Mahomes and Kelce have served as the faces of a Chiefs dynasty that has dominated the NFL and the postseason picture in the following five years. Given his relationship with both men, Schwartz knows just what makes the duo so great — and it’s not just their talent.
“It’s their willingness to learn, to understand football, to teach themselves, learn from others, and then look to teach their teammates,” Schwartz told Mirror U.S. Sport, via casino.org. “It's all special stuff to be a part of, and it's the things you don't get to see unless you're around them or in the building. You see what they do on the field, and they see the game the exact same.
“They are both going to be Hall of Famers, and Hall of Famers, just by nature, see the game a little bit differently compared to everyone else.
“Their ability to just know what the other is doing, to be so in sync, is amazing. Football is pretty much about space, and offensively, you want to create as much space as you can, and you want your guys to find those seams and fill those voids.
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Patrick Mahomes was protected by Mitchell Schwartz for four seasons after arriving as a first-round pick in 2017
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Mahomes was protected by Mitchell Schwartz for four seasons after arriving as a first-round pick in 2017(Image: Getty Images)
“Kelce doesn't necessarily run the play that's designed for him, but he has the ability to just understand what the defense is doing and maneuver his way through there.
“Mahomes is also able to see the game in the same way and might think, ‘Hey, Travis was supposed to run a 10-yard square in.’ Well, he understood that maybe running a corner route was instead a more beneficial play.
“Mahomes can anticipate that the same way Kelce can. He can throw the ball even before Kelce makes a break in the wrong direction, but he knows that Travis is going to be there. There are plays where it's just a case of letting the two of them do what they do.”
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He added: “As much as the behind the scenes stuff, the preparation, the understanding of what the defense is doing is a huge driving force for their success, it's also the ability to be on the field and to just feel the game, to not have any hurry or panic or rush, just see it the same way, react the same way, and seemingly always be on the exact same page.”
Through seven weeks, Kelce has tallied 375 yards and two touchdowns, while Mahomes has put up 1,800 yards with 14 touchdowns to just two interceptions. He is firmly in the MVP race, with the Chiefs moving to 4-3 after winning back-to-back games.
The Chiefs are next in action against the 3-4 Washington Commanders at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday Night Football on Oct. 27.