Travis Kelce mentioned the choice to return for his thirteenth season with the Kansas City Chiefs wasn’t a lot of a call in any respect. In actual fact, the four-time All-Professional tight finish indicated Wednesday that No. 14 is not out of the query.
“I acquired one 12 months on this contract … and we’ll attempt to determine one thing for subsequent 12 months,” Kelce mentioned after the second day of the Chiefs’ obligatory three-day minicamp. “The Chiefs group is aware of how a lot I really like them. I can not see myself taking part in wherever else. We’ll cope with (2026) down the highway, when the time is true.
“However proper now, I am centered on successful a championship this 12 months.”
Whether or not the 35-year-old would grasp up his cleats was among the many greatest to observe the Chiefs’ lopsided loss to the Philadelphia Eagles within the Tremendous Bowl. Whereas he nonetheless performed at a excessive stage final season, Kelce’s manufacturing dipped noticeably — 97 catches for 823 yards and simply three touchdowns for a staff that received 15 regular-season video games.
Throw in Kelce’s myriad enterprise pursuits, together with a profitable media profession because of his standard podcast, and a long-term relationship with pop celebrity Taylor Swift, and it made sense to surprise how for much longer he would play.
But, it solely took a matter of weeks for Kelce to determine to chase one other championship. A part of it was the best way final season’s run had ended. Kelce had a throwback recreation within the divisional spherical in opposition to Houston with seven catches for 117 yards, however he solely had 4 for 39 within the 40-22 loss to the Eagles within the Tremendous Bowl.
“Actually did not really feel prefer it was my final recreation, Kelce mentioned. “Simply felt like I had much more to show. You need to let the feelings die down. You do not need to decide off preliminary feelings. As soon as they died down, I felt like I nonetheless had that fireplace in my chest to come back in and preserve constructing and chase one other Tremendous Bowl.”
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce left the door open for retirement after recording simply 39 receiving yards of their Tremendous Bowl LIX loss to the Eagles. Just a few weeks later, he dedicated to return and play within the 2025 season. (Photograph by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Photos)
The Chiefs made it to the Tremendous Bowl regardless of taking part in many of the season with out their prime two receivers, Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown, each of whom are absolutely wholesome now after their accidents. Additionally they made it regardless of enormous points at left deal with, which the Chiefs hope to have solved by drafting Ohio State standout Josh Simmons within the first spherical.
Now, they’ve a motivated — and noticeably slimmer — Kelce again at tight finish. There have been reviews that he had dropped about 25 kilos for the reason that finish of final season, although Kelce insisted which will have been an exaggeration.
“Do not imagine [everything] you learn on the web, guys,” Kelce mentioned. “I am down some weight from the tip of final season — final 12 months — however annually is totally different. … This 12 months, I had a while to actually deal with some type working and a few issues early within the offseason that I did not have time for final 12 months. Definitely feeling good and I feel it will repay.”
Patrick Mahomes definitely hopes so. After main one of many NFL’s best offenses early in his profession, Mahomes has struggled to get the Chiefs on monitor the previous couple of seasons, largely due to accidents and offensive line bother. Nonetheless, the Chiefs’ star QB mentioned he by no means put any stress on Kelce to return for an additional season.
“I feel you have got behind your thoughts, for anyone that [has] performed loads of seasons, there’s all the time the possibility if they are going to come again and put within the work,” Mahomes mentioned. “For him, I feel it was simply recalibrating, seeing the place he was at — and from what I’ve seen, he is able to go.
“He [has] put within the work this offseason and he is excited to make one other run at it.”
The Chiefs are on a break for a couple of month earlier than they reunite at Missouri Western State College for coaching camp. Whereas the considered spending just a few weeks residing in school dorm rooms most likely would not sound very attractive to Kelce, the prospect of beginning one other championship run there clearly drives him.
“I really like this recreation,” he mentioned. “It is nonetheless my childhood dream. Once I actually thought of it this offseason, I acquired again to eager to deal with this recreation and getting essentially the most out of this recreation as I can, whereas I am nonetheless placing on the cleats and pads. It will all the time be No. 1 by way of my enterprise world and profession path.”
Reporting by The Related Press.
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