Nobody knows Travis Kelce quite like his former teammate Alex Smith. Kelce was drafted in the 3rd round by the Chiefs back in 2013. On the other hand, quarterback Smith had just arrived in Kansas City via trade from the 49ers.

For the next five years, Kelce became the shot-caller's main target. Smith relied heavily on Kelce for short and intermediate routes. Smith recently spoke about his relationship with Kelce on the Rich Eisen Show, revealing a new side to the veteran tight end.

"Proud to have played with him and call him a friend—he got called to the principals' office quite often—he’s matured a lot, he’s grown up a lot, he and big red, there were lots of tough conversations there early on in Trav’s career," said Smith.

Travis Kelce's affinity for parties is not unknown to the fans. More often than not, he got on the wrong side of things with the head coach, Andy Reid.

To counter that, Reid would even resort to sending in tight end coach Tom Melvin to the parking lot to make sure Kelce was not late for the meetings.

With time, Kelce developed into one of the most recognized tight ends the NFL has seen. Over 1,000 receptions and 13,000 yards in his 13 seasons for Kansas tell you everything.

Smith has a lot of love and respect for Kelce, and that is evident from the way he talks about him. Not only his antics but Kelce's abilities as a player got Smith's attention, too.

Alex Smith Calls Travis Kelce The Greatest TE Of All Time

Alex Smith has nothing but kind words for his teammate, Travis Kelce. Apart from his Travis' early days, he also gave Kelce full praise as a player.

Speaking with the Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr., Smith had high praise for the veteran player.

"He's arguably the greatest receiving tight end of all time, like enough said. I also think he's a guy who has revolutionized that position. Travis is certainly one of those who has really elevated that position and can be a difference-maker. This is a position group involved in everything: pass blocking, run blocking; they get their hands in the dirt, they're split out, and they go against linebackers and safeties," said Smith.

Kelce comes in with a pedigree unmatched. He enters 2026 third all-time behind Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten in yards. Kelce is only 44 yards behind Witten at the moment, and this season will mostly see him surpass that.

Kelce will now be entering his 14th season. He finished his last season earning his eleventh consecutive Pro Bowl selection.

Kelce might be heading towards that age where the body starts slowing down, but his performance hasn't dimmed as much, and that is what makes him special.

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Written by

Sourav Ganguly

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote