Travis Kelce didn’t want to ride off into the sunset with a Super Bowl blowout as his final NFL game.
The future Hall of Fame tight end said on the latest episode of his New Heights podcast that the dual effect of the disappointing 40-22 loss to the Eagles and his love of playing contributed to his decision to return for a 13th season.
“I think the biggest thing is that I f—— love playing the game of football,” he said. “I love playing. I still feel like I can play it at a high level and possibly at a higher level than I did last year. I don’t think it was my best outing. I think I let my guys down in a lot more moments than I helped them, especially if you look at my track record and how I’ve been in years past. I want to give it a good run. I got a bad taste in my mouth in how I ended last year and how well I was playing and how accountable I was to the people around me.
“I love so many people in Kansas City, both in that facility, in the community, and it’s home for me now. I don’t want to leave that life yet. I put in a lot of hard work and I put in a lot of focus into being the best that I can for K.C. Last year it didn’t end well for us. I just feel like there’s a responsibility in me to play out the contract that I initially signed, to give Kansas City and the Chiefs organization everything that I’ve got, and that’s what I’m going to do, man.”
Kelce was asked directly how big of a factor losing the Super Bowl was and whether he’d have returned if the Chiefs had completed the three-peat.
“It was probably the biggest factor,” he said of the Lombardi loss. “I mean, it’s a pretty cool way to go out, but I just think I would still have this love for the game. … I think I would have thought about it more if we would’ve won.”
The 35-year-old is coming off the worst statistical season of his career — outside of his one-game rookie campaign in 2013. Kelce posted 823 yards with three touchdowns on 97 catches in 2024. The playoffs offered no reprieve. After his best game of the season in the Divisional Round (117 yards, TD), Kelce disappeared. He had two catches for 19 yards in the AFC Championship Game and four grabs for 49 yards in the Super Bowl loss.
“The ending of that game, I feel like I owe the guys that I come into that building with a whole lot more effort and focus,” Kelce said. “I just don’t know what it was during that game, man, but I wasn’t at my best. The more that I see clips or watch the film and put myself back into those moments, man, I’m just like what the f—?”
One of the best players at any position in the NFL for years, Kelce has earned the right to decide his future.
“Kansas City, baby, we’re back at it for at least one more year,” he said. “I can’t say whether or not this is going to be the last year because I still love a lot of what I do for the city of Kansas City and the Chiefs organization. I know I’ve got one on my contract, and I’m gonna give you everything I got, baby.”
