Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice claims he was the reason legendary TE Travis Kelce decided not to retire.

Most fans know that the Kansas City Chiefs are a tight-knit group, having played more football than any other team in the last five years.

Both the veterans and recent additions alike have talked publicly about the comradery in the organization and how it’s helped the team achieve so much success.

Travis Kelce has obviously been a major part of developing that culture, having spent his entire career with the franchise and establishing himself as one of the greatest athletes in Kansas City history.

That said, even he needs to rely on his teammates at times.

In surprising new comments by rising star WR Rashee Rice, he noted that he played an unexpected role in Kelce ultimately deciding to return for another season in 2025.

Rashee says he told Kelce he couldn’t go out like that and helped him decide to stay next year😌 pic.twitter.com/RdfFqoiGpE

— Jenna (@jennaxkc) March 14, 2025

Rashee Rice Claims He Prevented Travis Kelce From Retiring

Appearing on the “I Am Athlete” podcast, Rice claimed responsibility for preventing Kelce from hanging up his cleats.

“I ain’t even gonna lie, I’m 95 percent the reason he ain’t retiring,” Rice said. “Told him he can’t go out like that, make sure we get that next year. I’m pretty sure he was hanging it up, and I’m like, we can’t go out like that. We gotta go win that, I’m going to make sure we win that, that’s what I told him.”

Rice noted that he texted with Kelce, who replied, “You really got me thinking about it. I really appreciate you reaching out to me.”

The young wideout said that he saw the news about Kelce coming back and thought, “Alright now!” in a classic Kelce voice.

It speaks volumes to both players’ respective characters that this interaction could’ve happened. Kelce is a beloved leader and clearly an impactful player, while Rice was taking on a leadership role in encouraging his legendary teammate to give it one more shot.

After Rice missed nearly the entire 2024 campaign with a knee injury, he’s expected to be ready for training camp and the season.

Having him, Kelce, Xavier Worthy, and Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown on the field at the same time could create a deadly offense, helping curb many of the issues the team faced last year.

Chiefs fans are eternally grateful to Kelce, but it sounds like some appreciation is also owed to Rice.