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 somewhat 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 determination to run it again with the Chiefs.
“I imply, it is a fairly cool solution to exit, however I simply assume I might nonetheless have this love for the sport. … I feel I might have considered it extra if we might’ve gained,” 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 advised after the loss that he could retire as a result of “put on and tear” on his physique. After it was realized throughout the NFL Scouting Mix that Kelce will give the Chiefs at the least yet one more marketing campaign as an energetic participant, analysts and reporters famous that he might 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 stage and presumably at the next stage than I did final 12 months. 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 should you take a look at my monitor file and the way I have been in years previous. I wish to give it run. I bought a nasty style in my mouth in how I ended final 12 months 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 12 months, 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 12 months” 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, in the neighborhood, and it is residence for me now. I do not wish to go away that life but,” Kelce added. “I put in a variety of exhausting work and I put in a variety of focus into being one of the best that I can for Ok.C. Final 12 months, it did not finish nicely for us. I simply really feel like there is a duty in me to play out the contract that I initially signed, to offer Kansas Metropolis and the Chiefs group every part 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 will probably be his “Last Dance” with the Chiefs shall be seen.
