Following weeks of “will he or will not he?” hypothesis concerning his future, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce confirmed last week he’ll play one other season moderately than retire.
In the course of the newest version of his “New Heights” podcast, Kelce acknowledged that Kansas Metropolis’s Tremendous Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles final month “was in all probability the largest issue” in his choice to run it again with the Chiefs.
“I imply, it is a fairly cool option to exit, however I simply assume I’d nonetheless have this love for the sport. … I feel I’d have thought of it extra if we’d’ve received,” Kelce defined, as shared by Kevin Patra of the NFL’s web site.
Kelce caught simply 4 of six targets for 39 yards in opposition to the Eagles after which instructed after the loss that he could retire as a result of “put on and tear” on his physique. After it was discovered throughout the NFL Scouting Mix that Kelce will give the Chiefs at the very least another marketing campaign as an lively participant, analysts and reporters famous that he may have extra of a decreased position in Kansas Metropolis’s offense throughout future regular-season video games.
“I really like enjoying,” Kelce stated throughout the podcast. “I nonetheless really feel like I can play it at a excessive degree and probably at the next degree than I did final yr. I do not assume it was my greatest outing. I feel I let my guys down in much more moments than I helped them, particularly when you have a look at my monitor document and the way I have been in years previous. I wish to give it a very good run. I bought a foul style in my mouth in how I ended final yr and the way nicely I used to be enjoying and the way accountable I used to be to the folks round me.”
Kelce reportedly stepped up as a locker-room chief over the previous yr, however his 823 receiving yards and three landing catches had been profession lows outdoors of when he appeared in only one sport as a rookie throughout the 2013 season.
Some assume Kelce will name time on his profession subsequent winter, however he insisted throughout the episode that he “cannot say whether or not or not that is going to be the final yr” earlier than he fully embraces his quite a few off-the-field enterprise alternatives.
“I really like so many individuals in Kansas Metropolis, each in that facility, locally, and it is dwelling for me now. I do not wish to depart that life but,” Kelce added. “I put in numerous arduous work and I put in numerous focus into being the most effective that I can for Ok.C. Final yr, it did not finish nicely for us. I simply really feel like there is a accountability in me to play out the contract that I initially signed, to present Kansas Metropolis and the Chiefs group all the pieces that I’ve bought, and that is what I’ll do.”
Whether or not or not Kelce will announce earlier than September that the 2025 season shall be his “Last Dance” with the Chiefs shall be seen.
