LAS VEGAS — Travis Kelce said on Thursday that he loves what he sees of his team’s mindset entering Sunday’s Super Bowl.
“It’s chaos, a lot of fun and a lot of energy at practice,’’ the Chiefs tight end said Thursday during the team’s final media availability before the game. “Everybody’s focused and dialed in on their job at hand. I’m not going to lie and I’m not going to say who, but things got a little bit chippy in practice [Wednesday].
“The offensive and defensive lines are trying to get their work in, trying to make sure everybody’s ready for the game. It just got me fired up. I love the focus and energy of the team right now.’’
Chiefs motivated by Pats
Kelce conceded that he and other teammates have used the Patriots as motivation as they try to win their third Super Bowl in the past five seasons.
“Yeah, they set the standard of dominance in the NFL,’’ Kelce said. “I was a part of that and felt that dominance in 2015 when I lost to them and again in 2018.”
Are the Chiefs on the cusp of a dynasty?
“It’s been thrown around a lot,’’ Kelce said of that “D’’ word. “It being our third in five years and I think the number ‘three’ is a big number in dynasties. Hopefully, we can get this thing and you guys [reporters] can start talking about dynasties. I’m trying to get this third ring.’’
Trying to keep band together
The Chiefs still have a game to play this season, but that doesn’t mean their general manager Brett Veach isn’t already looking toward the future.
Veach told reporters his top goal this offseason to keep defensive lineman Chris Jones and defensive back L’Jarius Sneed in Kansas City.
Both are free agents.
“Sometimes I look at our situation and I’m like, ‘I don’t know how we’re going to do this,’ but we usually work through things systematically and have a list of the priorities,” Veach said. “Certainly, Chris and LJ are at the top of the list. It’s extremely hard because you have two keystone players there.”
Reid mum on coaching future
Andy Reid continues to field questions about whether he may retire after the Super Bowl and “go out on top.’’
Asked on Thursday if that was the way he was leaning or if he’s already decided to return for next season, he said, “I haven’t gone there. I don’t think about that. I’m tied up in the game and trying to take care of that. I’m sure somewhere I’ll know when that time is. It’s not today and it won’t be Sunday.’’
Alarms go off at 49ers’ hotel
The 49ers are a serious team and they do not need a wake-up call to get them ready to face the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, but that is what they received early Thursday morning.
An alarm went off around 6 a.m. at the 49ers team hotel, the Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa and stayed on for nearly 10 minutes.
The 49ers players, coaches and entire travel contingent did not have to leave their rooms, as hotel management was able to quickly determine that it was a false alarm.
It has been a less-than-ideal lead-up to the big game for the 49ers, who are unhappy about the soft grass practice fields they are using this week at UNLV.
Atlanta’s Campbell wins award
Falcons defensive end Calais Campbell was named the 2024 Alan Page Community Award winner by the NFL Players Association.
The NFLPA will donate $100,000 to Campbell’s CRC Foundation, named for Campbell’s late father, a non-profit that teaches life skills to young people.
“It’s always an honor to be recognized for an award so prestigious,’’ Campbell said. “I feel like there are a lot of guys in this union, a lot of members from across the league who were just great guys who do a lot of good things in their community and I know just so many of them are worthy of it as well and all the people that have come before me, I always try to follow in their footsteps and just do the best I can, just trying to help the community.”