It’s business as usual for Travis Kelce and his Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Eve as the Super Bowl winners touched down in Pittsburgh for Wednesday’s game against the Steelers.
But spending Christmas Eve without girlfriend Taylor Swift didn’t seem to dampen his festive spirit as he stepped off the plane wearing a Santa hat.
This is the second year in a row the Chiefs have played on Christmas Day, but last year they had a home game in Kansas City that they lost to the Las Vegas Raiders.
A year after their last loss, the Chiefs are on the road this time looking for the one win needed to clinch the AFC’s top seed.
The Chiefs shared photos of the team landing in Pittsburgh on Tuesday afternoon, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The quarterback, wearing a sharp blue suit, had been dealing with a high ankle sprain in recent weeks but quickly marched down the stairs carrying two bags of luggage and showed no sign of any pain.
Travis Kelce landed in Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve in a Santa hat for his next Chiefs game
Kelce spends Christmas Eve without girlfriend Taylor Swift playing Christmas Day
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the team off the plane in a baby blue suit
Kelce, 35, will have a chance to make Chiefs history on Christmas Day.
He is currently tied with Tony Gonzalez for the most touchdowns in Chiefs history with a total of 76. This means that one more TD means he holds the record in Kansas City.
Ahead of the Steelers game, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin paid tribute to Kelce in a year where he hasn’t reached the explosive heights of last campaign.
But Tomlin explained that the decline in Kelce’s stats shows how much unknown work he does for his team.
“He’s an incredibly unselfish player, I don’t think he gets enough credit for that,” Tomlin said.
‘Definitely a big playmaker… but really impressed with the unselfishness of his play.’
It’s not yet clear if Swift will head to Pittsburgh to cheer on Kelce for the Christmas Day game, but if she does, it will be her first road game of the NFL season.
Last season she traveled often to road games, but this year she stayed at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
Kelce and Swift pictured together after the Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans on Saturday
If Kelce scores a touchdown against the Steelers, he will claim a new record for the Chiefs
But now that her Eras Tour is over, Kelce is busier on the power couple side as the Chiefs step up their efforts to win an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl title.
The Steelers will present a serious test for the Chiefs. Russell Wilson’s team is 10-5 and leads the AFC North, but is on the same record as the Baltimore Ravens, who also play on Christmas Day.
With both teams competing for the AFC North title, the Steelers’ win against Kelce and Mahomes is crucial to the eventual outcome of their postseason.
After Wednesday’s game, the Chiefs wrap up the regular season heading to the Denver Broncos on Jan. 5.