A blowout loss meant no one had to keep the television on to see if Travis Kelce would propose to mega popstar girlfriend Taylor Swift.
Instead, after Kelce no-showed the Chiefs’ 40-22 loss to the Eagles in Super Bowl 2025, the focus turned to what Kelce would say about his future and the possibility of retirement.
Kelce, 35, cut short a brief interview sessions with reporters before the topic could be broached.
“Have a good one guys,” Kelce told reporters after answering several questions and then heading towards Taylor Swift’s suite.
“Couldn’t get it going offensively,” Kelce said after losing his second Super Bowl. “I mean, they just got after us on all three phases and then on top of that, turnovers, penalties, playing behind the sticks on offense … dropped passes, not taking advantage of the play call and executing them, there’s a lot that goes into it. You don’t lose like that without everything going bad.”
Kelce has been honest about addressing his eventual retirement over the past few seasons, but has often couched any talk by affirming his love for the game.
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He even signed a two-year extension in April to keep him with the team through the 2027 season.
“Where will I be in three years? I don’t know. Hopefully, still playing football,” Kelce said during Super Bowl 2025 media day. “I love doing this. I love coming into work every day. I feel like I’ve still got a lot of good football left in me. We’ll see what happens.
“I know I’ve been setting myself up for other opportunities in my life. That’s always been the goal, knowing that football only lasts so long. You’ve got to find a way to get into another career and another profession. I’ve been doing that in my offseasons. But for the most part I plan on being a Kansas City Chief and playing football.”
The 2024 season, though, proved to be Kelce’s worst since he emerged a star, with the three-time champ registering career-lows with 823 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Kelce then turned back the clock in the divisional round win over the Texans with seven catches for 117 yards and one score, before barely making his mark with two catches for 19 yards in the AFC title game against the Bills.
An NFL.com report emerged Sunday stating Kelce had not made up his mind about whether he would play in 2025, adding that whether the Chiefs accomplished their three-peat could influence the call.
If Kelce retires now, he will be going out after a resounding loss in which he looked his age and could not make a difference, often seeming a step too slow.
Kelce totaled four catches for 39 yards, with all coming in the second half with the Eagles already comfortably ahead.
He noted the result stunned himself since “we haven’t played that bad all year.”
“Hats off to the Eagles, man,” Kelce said. “They got after us, all three phases.”
Sunday’s game did show that the Chiefs may have to tweak their offensive attack after their veteran trio of Kelce and receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown all added little to nothing.
Kelce, even if no longer a top option, still provides value as a security blanket for quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the intermediate passing game, in addition to his leadership skills.
Mahomes will give Kelce the space he needs to make his decision.
“I’ll let Travis make that decision on his own,” Mahomes said. “He’s given so much to this team, to the NFL and such a joy not only for me to work with, but for people to watch. He knows he has a lot of football left in him. You can see he always makes the plays at the biggest moments, but it’s if he wants to put in that grind. . . . I know he still has love for the game. He’ll get some time with his family and make that decision on his own, but he knows he’ll come back here with welcome arms.”
