Travis Kelce reveals the NFL rival he ‘used to dream about being like’

Travis Kelce has opened up on his unique admiration for Josh Allen – admitting the Buffalo Bills quarterback is the type of player he used to dream about being like.

Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs are gearing up for a mouthwatering AFC Championship showdown with Allen and the Bills at Arrowhead this Sunday.

For the Chiefs, victory will seal a third consecutive Super Bowl appearance for the back-to-back champions and move them one step closer to an unprecedented ‘three-peat’.

Yet standing in their way are the Bills and superstar-quarterback Allen, who is the favorite to scoop this year’s MVP award after a breathtaking season.

The 28-year-old threw for 3,731 yards, 28 touchdowns and had six picks for a 101.4 passer rating in 2024, helping Buffalo clinch its fifth straight AFC East title. He also ran for 531 yards and 12 scores.

And as they prepare to do battle once again on Sunday, Kelce has lauded Allen as the exact type of player he wanted to become in the NFL.

Josh is who I used to dream about being like in the NFL,’ the Chiefs tight end told reporters at a press conference on Friday.

‘Big athletic quarterback, big arm, be able to be a dual-threat guy… I just never had the arm talent that Josh had, so they kicked me over to quarterback.

‘His ability to do everything. You can tell he’s took the bull by the horns and really been their leader upfront and channeled that. Guys come in and out the building and he’s the main piece in there of making that thing go week in week out.

‘I have so much respect for that guy.’

Allen, who saw off Lamar Jackson and Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional round, is seeking revenge at Arrowhead after last season’s playoff defeat to great rival Patrick Mahomes and his Chiefs.

Since the Bills sensation was drafted in 2018, he has won four of his seven matchups against Mahomes, including when Buffalo ended Kansas City’s unbeaten record back in November.

However, the Chiefs quarterback has won all three of his playoff games against Allen, most recently defeating them in the Divisional round last year.

The stakes are high for both teams this Sunday as Allen looks to guide the Bills to their first Super Bowl since 1993, while the Chiefs bid to become the first team in history to win it three times on the bounce.

A few days out from Sunday’s championship game, Mahomes has called on the home crowd to be louder than ever before when Buffalo come to town.

‘Chiefs Kingdom, they’re always passionate they’re always loud,’ he told reporters on Thursday, via Sports Illustrated’s Jordan Foote.

‘I would just say, let’s see them take it up a notch. Let’s see how loud this place can really get.’