With negativity surrounding the league’s new concussion policy, Davante Adams taking his frustration out on an unsuspecting camera man and Ron Rivera souring on quarterback Carson Wentz (did we mention Tom Brady’s marriage is falling apart?), the NFL has been, if nothing else, a reliable source of misery, an assembly line churning out bad vibes week after week. Such is life in America’s cruelest sport, a black pit of violence and casual misogyny, but amid that toxic cloud of darkness comes a bright ray of sunshine, a beacon of hope in a sad world.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is companionship in its purest form, with the bond between Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce representing a friendship so wholesome, so completely devoid of earthly contaminates like resentment and jealousy, it may just restore your faith in humanity.
Mahomes and Kelce were at it again Monday night, connecting seven times for 25 yards and four touchdowns in an appropriately chaotic come-from-behind-win over Las Vegas, running Kansas City’s record to 4-1 heading into this week’s showdown with Buffalo, a rematch of last year’s Divisional Round epic that saw Mahomes and Josh Allen combine for eight touchdowns and over 800 yards of offense. If Mahomes and Kelce aren’t the greatest tandem in NFL history, they’re at least in the conversation, joining the likes of other iconic duos like Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison, Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, and, of course, Tom Brady and his shirtless, beer-guzzling golden retriever Rob Gronkowski.
Mahomes, who passed Troy Aikman for 75th on the NFL’s all-time touchdown list with his heroic display Monday night (Aikman was calling the game for ESPN, ironically enough), has now linked up for 41 touchdowns with Kelce, with that number rising to 52 if you include their postseason accolades. That’s pretty remarkable considering they’ve only been teammates since 2017 with Mahomes spending most of his rookie year backing up incumbent Alex Smith.
After a tumultuous offseason that saw Tyreek Hill defect to Miami, many wondered if Kansas City’s once-dominant offense would be potent enough to realistically compete for a title, and while a month and a half of football might be too early to make that determination, the Chiefs, through five games, haven’t missed a beat with Mahomes (15) and Kelce (seven) both leading their respective positions in touchdowns. The Chiefs may not be as explosive as they were with Hill, a generational deep threat aptly nicknamed “Cheetah” for his downfield prowess, but you can never underestimate the power of on-field chemistry, a trait Kelce and Mahomes have in no short supply.
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