Super Bowl 59 is not a game that Kansas City Chiefs fans are going to look back on fondly as the team got the doors blown off of them. It's hard to imagine that star tight end Travis Kelce would want his NFL career to end this way but the retirement rumors have revved up over the last year.
Following the crushing loss to the Eagles, Kelce opted not to speak to the media so we didn't get to hear what he had to say about retirement following the Chiefs' second Super Bowl blowout of the Andy Reid/Patrick Mahomes era. Mahomes spoke to the media, however, and was asked about what he thought on Kelce potentially stepping away from the game.
“I'll let Travis make that decision on his own, man. He's given so much to this team and to the NFL and been such a joy, not only for me to work with but for people to watch. He knows he still has a lot of football left in him. You can see it. … He's done enough to be a gold jacket guy and a first-ballot Hall of Famer. … He'll get to spend some time with his family and make that decision on his own."
Patrick Mahomes discusses Travis Kelce's potential retirement
The retirement rumors haven't been totally crazy considering Kelce is 35 years old and did look slower this past year. That being said, he still finished the 2024 regular season with 97 catches, which is tied for the fourth-most he's had during his career.
Kelce spoke about the retirement rumors ahead of Super Bowl 59, noting that he didn't plan to step away anytime soon. One would think that'd be enough to stop these conversations from happening but maybe people think that now that his team was on the losing end of a Super Bowl blowout, he might decide to pursue other opportunities.
Mahomes' comments made it clear that he wants his tight end back for another year but Kelce will be the only one who can make the decision.
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