While everyone appreciates those people who are fully committed to doing what they say, people are allowed to change their minds. That’s especially the case after an event or outcome shifts their perspective on certain things, and that appears to be the case with Travis Kelce.
The future Hall of Fame tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs has seen his playing future as a hot topic dating back to preseason and the result of Super Bowl LIX, when his Chiefs fell to the Philadelphia Eagles, 40-22, could have ramifications on what Kelce is doing in 2025.
Travis Kelce knows that his 2025 plans aren’t just a sports story but an entertainment story, considering that he is dating singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Thus, he addressed his plans head-on in the podcast and admitted that he’s undecided on whether to retire or return.
Kelce then brought up the long postseason runs that Kansas City has been on since Patrick Mahomes entered the fold in the 2018 season. The Chiefs have made seven straight AFC Championship Games and have played in 21 playoff games over this span, which is eight more than any other team and equates to basically an extra 1.25 seasons of NFL games. He said that all of those extra snaps have weighed on him both physically and mentally.
“It can make you better and it can drive you crazy at the same time,” Kelce said of playing so much football. “Right now, it’s one of those things where it was kind of driving me crazy this year. I think that it happens as you kind of tail off towards the back nine of your career. As you see yourself or not feel yourself have the success that you once used to have, it’s a tough pill to swallow. On top of that, to not be there in the biggest moments, knowing your team’s counting on you, man, those are all extremely hard things to ... It’s just a tough reality.”
Kelce’s comment on not having the success you once had could be applied to both the Chiefs, as a whole, and himself. The team’s quest for a three-peat came up short, and Kelce had one of his worst games on the biggest of stages. He had just four catches for 39 yards in Super Bowl LIX, which were both the fewest he’s posted in any of his five Super Bowl appearances. Kelce entered Sunday’s game averaging 7.8 receptions for 87.5 yards in his Super Bowl career.
Additionally, in his prior game to Super Bowl LIX, which was the AFC Title Game against the Buffalo Bills, Kelce had just two catches for 19 yards. Those are both the lowest marks of his entire 25-game postseason career. Those two performances come on the heels of Kelce’s worst statistical regular season since his rookie year as his 823 receiving yards and three receiving scores were his lowest marks since the 2013 season, when he played just a single game.
Kelce, who turns 36 in October, was the second-oldest running back, wide receiver, or tight end during the 2024 NFL season, trailing only the 40-year-old Marcedes Lewis. He reached several milestones last year, including becoming the third tight end ever with 1,000 career catches, notching his 10th career Pro Bowl, and passing Jerry Rice for the most receptions by any player in Super Bowl history.
He’s under contract for one more season, and Kansas City has no heir apparent for Kelce on its roster, so the Chiefs would certainly welcome him back. However, he also has several outside opportunities, and he only has to turn to his brother to see what kind of success a Kelce can have in their post-NFL career.
