Walking down the hill at Kansas City Chiefs training camp, TE Travis Kelce was taking in everything as he normally would.

But it’s year No. 14 in St. Joseph, Missouri, for the future Hall of Famer. It’s entirely possible that this training camp could represent his last stay in the dorms on the Missouri Western State University campus. He is one of the team’s most veteran leaders, and as he gets ready for the upcoming football season, the 36-year-old tight end continues to turn heads and make strides at camp.

Patrick Mahomes and Kelce got the party started early in practice on Wednesday. The two connected on a reception during 7-on-7 team drills. It’s the ninth season for those two players together as starters. That connection stayed strong throughout practice, with Kelce not taking a single rep off.

With a number of new players in the fold, Kelce is doing something for his teammates that no other player on the roster can. He’s giving them a perfect example.

Andy Reid isn’t surprised Kelce is still doing what he does best

Chiefs coach Andy Reid spoke about No. 87 on Wednesday. He made clear that he isn’t surprised in the slightest that Kelce is still out here doing what he does best.

“Yeah, he looked pretty good, you know. He stayed in shape. He did a lot of dancing at his wedding,” Reid joked.

But what does it mean exactly to have a player like Kelce out here in year 14 doing it all? Reid called him “a good leader,” then expanded on just how much that leadership means for Kansas City’s younger players.

“Well, you’re talking about Kelce,” Reid said. “He’s a great leader, and he works hard. He wants to be in there, and for a young guy to look at that, it’s hard for them to make an excuse to take a rep off. Because he’s out there going. And if they try to get sneaky, he yanks them back in there. So, he makes them go. That’s always a good thing to have.”

Kelce is setting the standard for every young player on the Chiefs’ roster

Kelce is setting a positive example for players who are much younger than him. They haven’t put in the work yet. They haven’t done the things they need to do to achieve the same level of greatness. In year 14, at 36 years old, Kelce is still fighting to participate and play every single snap he possibly can. It sets the stage for these young players to follow in his footsteps.

If any of them are slacking off, they need to look no further than Kelce for the example of what it takes. Snap in and snap out during training camp, when a player is being tested in brutal, hot, and humid temperatures. When they’re asked to go the distance in Reid’s long drive drills. When they have to dig down deep and give that little extra effort, that’s the difference between a win and a loss.

Kelce is demonstrating that day in and day out at Missouri Western State University, as he has throughout his career. It will set up the rest of the Chiefs’ roster for success. For a Kansas City team reloading with younger talent, that kind of daily example from their most accomplished offensive player is worth all the riches in the world.