Travis Kelce Isn’t Following in Patrick Mahomes’ Superstitious Footsteps

The world of sports has seen plenty of iconic dynamic duos over the years. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce have played their way into the upper echelon of that group. The former man has the arm strength and creativity to find his teammate almost anywhere on the field; the latter has a unique blend of intelligence and athleticism to find the exact weak point in any defense. There’s a reason, after all, they sit together atop the NFL’s postseason leaderboard.

But ahead of Super Bowl LVIII, there is a notable difference between the teammates. Kelce, if we take him at his word, won’t be following Mahomes underwear-based superstition.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Given the stakes of the Big Game, you might think that players will break out anything possible in pursuit of a tiny advantage. Kelce, however, isn’t one for superstitions.

“I don’t think I’m superstitious,” the tight explained during a pre-Super Bowl press conference. “I think I like to live my life a certain way in hopes that I get, you know, good things to happen to me, but I’m not wearing the same underwear every single game or nothing like that.”

While that final note may seem somewhat random, it’s presumably a reference to Kelce’s most famous teammate. During a 2023 appearance on ESPN’s Manningcast, Mahomes shared his own unique good-luck charm.

When asked about former backup Chad Henne’s comment that No. 15 wore the same underwear for every game, the two-time Super Bowl champ didn’t deny things.

“Well, you know, first, my wife, Brittany, got them for me, so, I had to, I’m not throwing y’all down, but I have to wear them, you know,” Mahomes explained. “But, at the same time, I threw them on that first season. We had a pretty good season that season.”

If you’re worried about the hygiene of it all, though, the quarterback did have some (at least mildly) reassuring words.

“I only wear them for game day, though,” Mahomes added. “So, I can’t get, they’re not too worn down. They’re not like these nasty, I clean them[…]I wash them, every once in a while at least[…]I mean, if we’re on a hot streak, I can’t wash them, you know? Like, I gotta just keep it rolling. So, you know, as long as I’m winning football games, I’ll keep the superstition going.”

Ultimately, though, the numbers back up both Chiefs’ preferred methods. Kelce has redefined the tight end position and showed an incredible level of consistency; the fact that his 1,000-yard receiving streak lasted as long as it did (and could still be alive if he wanted to push for it) speaks volumes about his skills.

And, under center, Mahomes’ resume speaks for itself. Whether you want to go by counting numbers (more than 28,000 regular season yards and 219 touchdowns through 96 regular-season games), silverware or his sheer impact on the Chiefs, the Texas Tech product stands tall at the NFL level. Anytime you’re in the same conversation as Tom Brady, after all, you know you’ve done something right.

Ultimately, professional sports are a results-based business. Whether you’re superstitious or not, standing tall on the field can earn you plenty of leeway.