Travis Kelce praises Chiefs after possible Arrowhead farewell
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – If Thursday night’s game was the last one Travis Kelce played at Arrowhead Stadium, he certainly tried to make it memorable.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end had just five catches for 36 yards against the Denver Broncos, playing alongside third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun while starter Patrick Mahomes and backup Gardner Minshew were out with knee injuries. But several of those catches came in the final minutes, nearly rallying the Chiefs to what would have been a stunning upset for the Broncos.
Kelce & Co. ended up losing 20-13 in a game in which they were underdogs by nearly two touchdowns. But it was a courageous display from Kelce in a career full of them.
The four-time All-Pro, who is expected to announce soon after the season whether he is retiring, could have hung up his cleats a few weeks ago, when the defending AFC champions were eliminated from the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
After appearing in five Super Bowls – including the last three – and winning three championship rings, Kelce, 36, instead showed he had too much pride to give up after a losing season. He suffered a humiliating loss to the lowly Tennessee Titans last week and was one of the few bright spots on Christmas for an offense that finished with 139 yards.
“A lot of emotions,” Kelce said afterward. “Everyone in the world is watching you. You get to go out there with the kids on prime-time television. The kids get an opportunity to taste what that NFL life is like.”
As for retirement?
“This is a decision I will make with my family, friends and the Chiefs organization when the time comes,” Kelce said.
He was the last player presented Thursday evening, after Oladokun out of the tunnel. As the red lights flashed on the field, Kelce emerged from the fog with his signature entry gesture, a bow and arrow, towards a celebrating crowd, and the fans, predictably, roared with joy – perhaps for the last time – as number 87 took the field.
“You only get a few [occasions] where you can stand there and enjoy [60,000]“, 70,000 Chiefs fans cheering you on,” Kelce said. “I always enjoy this moment.”
In a suite above, his fiancée, pop star Taylor Swift, watched him perform. So did Mahomes and Minshew, who attended the game together from a suite. Mahomes suffered torn knee ligaments two weeks ago; Minshew did the same last week.
“You feel the generations of happiness and the love that [the fans] “, Kelce said. “It’s a beautiful thing, man. It’s something I know I’ll cherish forever, whether it’s coming out of the tunnel or just making a big play for them. That’s why we love Arrowhead.”
Kelce played 97 games inside the stadium during a 13-year career. He caught 645 passes at Arrowhead, including the playoffs, which is the third-most by any player in a single installation (behind Jerry Rice and Larry Fitzgerald) since the AFL-NFL merger.
Now the question is whether Kelce will play next week in the Chiefs’ season finale against the Las Vegas Raiders.
He needs just 10 receiving yards to reach 13,000 for his career, and he could extend his franchise record — and the NFL’s longest active streak — by catching a pass in his 191st game next weekend. He could also come away with a win, rather than having lost five in a row and seven of his last eight.
Or maybe Kelce will surprise everyone and return for one more campaign.
“We’ve been through so much together,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said, making his desire clear. “Just one more [season]. Just one more.”
