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Travis Kelce has paid tribute to his best friend and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes after his incredible recovery from a serious knee injury.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirmed on Tuesday that Mahomes will start in Week 1 of the new NFL season against the Denver Broncos on Monday night.
The three-time Super Bowl champion will play almost exactly nine months from the date he suffered tears to his ACL and LCL against the Los Angeles Chargers in December.
Speaking on the latest episode of New Heights, Kelce said: 'I've seen a guy do anything possible to be ready for Week 1. What he's done to get to this point is second to none. You saw that switch flip when he had the surgery, of how he was going to be determined to get healthy for the season.
'We're excited that he's going to be out there rocking with us on Week 1. In terms of his ability to move around, he's a competitor, man. And he only knows one way to play the game - when that ball snaps I just expect to see Patty Mahomes playing football.
'It's just the competitive edge to him. He understands the game to a certain degree and if one thing doesn't work, he has the ability to tweak how he's playing to still get that success.'
Travis Kelce has paid tribute to his best friend Patrick Mahomes after his recovery from injury
Back in December, Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL against the Los Angeles Chargers
Mahomes called his return to face the Chiefs' AFC West rivals at Arrowhead 'the goal' at the outset of training camp.
The two-time MVP didn't play at all in the preseason, which was the plan established by coaches and medical personnel.
While doctors initially cautioned Mahomes that it could be October before he was ready to play, the quarterback surged past all expectations in his rehab, working with the first team throughout training camp.
Mahomes's availability is a huge boost for Reid, Kelce and the rest of the Chiefs as they bid to return to the playoffs after missing the postseason entirely last year with a 6-11 record.
The Chiefs tied Kelce down to a new three-year contract worth $54 million across three years. It was a busy offseason for the tight end, who also married Taylor Swift in a star-studded ceremony at Madison Square Garden.
The Chiefs have made moves this year to improve their roster, upgrading at running back by signing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III from Seattle.
But they did little to bolster their wide receiver corps, instead hoping that Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton can take some big steps forward.
The defense also has some question marks, especially in the backfield, where the Chiefs traded star cornerback Trent McDuffie and lost starters Bryan Cook and Jaylen Watson to free agency.
They used their first-round pick to draft Mansoor Delane sixth overall, and in all, Kansas City used its first four draft picks on the defensive side of the ball.
