Football tight ends function to protect their quarterback in the middle of NFL plays, and few do it better than Travis Kelce.

Kelce has been the Kansas City Chiefs’ top tight end since 2013, four years before Patrick Mahomes signed with the Missouri team as a quarterback.

“Obviously, I get here at the beginning of the year [and] I’m still a rookie, so I’m kind of going through the motions and try to figure out the best way to fit in and I think the first time I thought me and Travis were gonna be connected … was [after] the fourth preseason game,” Mahomes recalled on Kelce’s“New Heights” podcast in December 2022, noting Kelce happened to be partying at the “same spot” as Mahomes and the other rookies, who invited the crew to join him.

Mahomes ended up being late to the Chiefs’ “walk-through” — just like Kelce. “I was like, ‘Dope, I’m not alone! Let’s go, man,’” Kelce quipped. “At that point, I knew we were teammates.”

Scroll down for Mahomes and Kelce’s sweetest friendship moments through the years:

May 2024

Kelce hosted his second annual Kelce Jam on May 18 in Kansas and Mahomes turned up to show his support.

March 2024

Global hospitality group Noble 33 announced on March 14 that they are teaming up with Mahomes and Kelce to launch the 1587 Prime steakhouse in Kansas City. The restaurant is set to open in 2025 and is named after the player’s jersey numbers.

“Travis and I have become frequent visitors of Noble 33 restaurants in other cities, so it only made sense to bring something special to our own community in Kansas City,” Mahomes said in a press release.

Kelce added: “We’re excited to be a part of this journey with Noble 33 to create a one-of-a-kind dining experience, and what better place to start than our very own, Kansas City.”