MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Never in NFL history has a team won three straight Super Bowls. That's what the Kansas City Chiefs are about to attempt, starting tomorrow night, when they open the NFL season against the Baltimore Ravens. Ian Rapoport reports for the NFL Network, and he's here with us now to get us up to speed as the regular season starts. Good morning, Ian.
IAN RAPOPORT: Morning, guys. What's going on?
MARTIN: What's going on? So no disrespect to any other team, but I'm going to ask you to make the case for the Chiefs. Do people really think they can do it?
RAPOPORT: The Chiefs can do it. Whether they will or not remains to be seen. But when you look at, you know, this Chiefs team, this 2024 edition, they're pretty similar - I mean, I would say almost the same, and most importantly, they have Patrick Mahomes. And anytime any team - the Chiefs in this case - enter a season with Patrick Mahomes as your quarterback, you got a chance. He is, you know, the best quarterback in the NFL. He is, for sure, the most decorated. He is someone who when the game has been on the line, when it all matters, he has always made the big play. He has led his team to the victory, at - you know, at every moment, no matter the circumstances. So start there. And that's a pretty good place to start.
You know, you look at his supporting cast, with Rashee Rice, who is, you know, an electric, young receiver. They have Xavier Worthy, a young rookie, I know they expect a lot from; Isiah Pacheco at running back, who, you know, is poised for a breakout season. And, you know, Travis Kelce is 35 years old but shows no signs of slowing down. This is a team that can score. The defense is good and young. The Chiefs have it all right there for them.
MARTIN: OK, I have to - I think it's in the Constitution - I have to find some way to mention Taylor Swift. So...
RAPOPORT: Of course.
MARTIN: So Travis Kelce, romance with Taylor Swift, fine, co-hosting a podcast with his brother, just sold for a lot of money. Is there any - I'm just wondering if the team feels in any way that he's becoming bigger than the team.
RAPOPORT: The team doesn't really feel like that because when you win titles, when you sort of transcend football in a way that the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes has done, the other worlds come calling. I mean, Mahomes is in a bunch of commercials. Kelce is certainly not the only one on the Chiefs who has pulls from the other world, you know, the sort of non-sports world. And I think one of the philosophies of Andy Reid is as long as you do your work on the field, you can be who you are. You can spread your wings a little bit.
MARTIN: Interesting.
RAPOPORT: And nobody has done as much work at the tight end position as Travis Kelce. He has proven it. He has earned it. And he still delivers on the football field to me. What he did in the playoffs last year was impressive.
MARTIN: It was. All right. So speaking of spreading their wings, the Packers and the Eagles are playing Friday night for the first time ever in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The NFL has been playing more and more games outside the U.S. or Canada - England, Germany, Mexico, and now, Brazil. Sure, it's spreading the fan base, but is there more to it?
RAPOPORT: Well, I think the spreading of the fan base is the most important thing, and making sure that, you know, the NFL touches as many people as possible. I think the NFL has put itself out there in different places. England, it started, a couple of different places. Germany, obviously a huge success, and Brazil now. And, you know, to me, that's - it's really about - you know, I know there's obviously a lot going on in Brazil right now. But to me, this is about making sure that football reaches as many people - as many different people as possible, grows the fan base as much as they can. And it really is a special thing. You know, giving people who wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to watch football live is really cool. I expect the atmosphere to be awesome.
MARTIN: All right. We're going to leave it there for now. That's Ian Rapoport with NFL Network. His show, "The Insiders," airs Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 7 p.m. Eastern during the season. Ian, thank you.
RAPOPORT: Thank you.
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