Travis Kelce once revealed how Patrick Mahomes' style pushed TE to adapt after Alex Smith

Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes have been the catalysts of the Kansas City Chiefs' success over the last few years. They have won three Super Bowl titles together and have become a nearly unstoppable duo. However, there was a time when they had to learn how to develop the on-field chemistry that had become effortless.

In 2019, Kelce was a guest on "The Rich Eisen Show" and detailed the difference in playing styles between Mahomes and Alex Smith. Smith was Kelce's quarterback when he first arrived in Kansas City and the tight end described his play as more "consistent" than Mahomes. Kelce also compared Mahomes' style to a baseball player's knuckleball in its delivery.

"I think it's a style of play that, I mean over the course, obviously, reps and things like that you kind of understand that Pat's not always gonna well be looking at you or at the same time it's not just gonna be a consistent over the top throw," Kelce said (03:37). "And that's the biggest thing between him and Alex, is that Alex was very consistent in how he threw the ball.

"Pat is all over the place I mean, he sometimes is up here, he's over, there sometimes thing's coming in like a knuckleball sometimes you hit a screwball on you slide the other way and I'm just adjusting to that always like focusing in on the rock all the way into the hands."

Kelce also told Rich Eisen that his main goal was to always make sure he had the ball in his hand no matter the throw from Mahomes.

Patrick Mahomes said Travis Kelce 'means the world' to him

On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs clinched the AFC West divisional title with a 19-17 win over the LA Chargers. Travis Kelce became the fastest TE to reach the 12,000 receiving yards milestone. He did it in just 172 NFL games.

After the game, Patrick Mahomes spoke to reporters and became sentimental talking about his relationship with Kelce. The two are not only close on the field but also off of it. Mahomes credited Kelce for helping him become a leader on the field.

"He means the world to me, man," Mahomes said. "Without getting emotional, he's a guy that has really made me who I am in my career and a true leader on the football field. Everybody says 'security blanket,' but someone that I can just go to at any moment and he's going to make a big play happen."

The 12-1 Kansas City Chiefs will now look to retain the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs as they aim to win three straight Super Bowl titles.