Getty Images Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill ranks third in the NFL in receiving yards through Week 13.
Winners of seven straight, the Kansas City Chiefs (11-1) are blazing a path toward the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round playoff bye week. Much of the team’s continued success has come on the backs of a pair of two-time All-Pros — Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce — who currently rank second and third in receiving yards in the NFL heading into Week 14.
On Thursday alone, Kelce was announced as the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee and named to Madden’s exclusive “99 Club,” which both players were asked about on Friday.
In acknowledging his teammate’s achievement during his weekly press conference with reporters, Hill unveiled an interesting nugget about his own Madden strategy:
Tyreek Hill says whenever he plays Madden, he plays with the ‘trashiest team in the game’.
“I’m not going to name any names.”
“The first thing I was thinking was I’m going to have to deal with two 99’s instead of just one now because believe it or not, my brother, he plays with the Chiefs and I try to use a trash team on Madden,” Hill explained. “I’m not going to say a name, but just having two 99s on this team is amazing, but just as far as gameplay it sucks man because obviously Pat (Patrick Mahomes) is amazing and then you add Kelce in the mix, it’s just unstoppable so it’s crazy. I’m very excited for him.”
While he didn’t directly acknowledge which “trash” team he chooses to play with, the winless New York Jets are likely a safe bet, though he didn’t rule out any AFC West rivals either.
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Patrick Mahomes Surprises Kelce With Award
After Kelce delivered the news of Mahomes’ becoming the fastest player in history to reach the 99 Club back in September, it was only fitting that the MVP passer was selected as the messenger for Kelce.
In a video posted to the Chiefs official Twitter account on Thursday, Kelce can be seen letting out a celebratory screech and telling Mahomes, “You already know the work don’t stop though, bro.”
Patrick Mahomes welcomes Travis Kelce to the #99Club! @EAMaddenNFL
The latest update from EA Sports makes Kelce only the sixth player to reach the pinnacle of Madden, joining Mahomes, Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey, New Orleans Saints WR Michael Thomas, Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald and New England Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore.
Kelce Reflects on Latest Honor
The Chiefs captain also shared his thoughts on being recognized by the world’s most popular football video game, explaining the impact it has had on his life to date.
“It’s cool, man,” said Kelce on Friday. “I remember, heck even a couple years ago I was still creating a player and making all of his ratings 99 or at least making him a 99 overall. I mean it’s the peak of that video game and that video game was everything for me when I was a kid. Getting it on Christmas back in the day was life in itself, and to see myself go from like a 73 or whatever my rookie year to a 99 over the course of seven, eight years it’s pretty cool to see the development, so just shoutout to Madden and don’t forget to update your rosters, everybody.”
As for why Hill hasn’t yet joined the 99s, Kelce foresees the decision from the Madden team coming very soon.
“I give it an extra week man, I still don’t understand how he’s not 99, how his speed isn’t 99,” Kelce said of Hill. “Nobody’s caught him yet. It’s just a matter of time man. It’s a matter of time and then there will be three 99 on one team and everybody will soon know, always pick the Chiefs in Madden.”
Now just 264 yards shy of breaking George Kittle’s single-season receiving yards record for tight ends (1,377), the 31-year-old was recently described by an ESPN analyst as “the best player in football, who’s not a quarterback.”
If Kelce keeps up this pace, it’ll be tough to argue with that.
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Chris Licata is an NFL contributor covering the Kansas City Chiefs from enemy territory in Denver, CO. Follow him on Twitter @Chris__Licata or join our Heavy on Chiefs Facebook community for the latest out of Chiefs Kingdom!