KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Although the Chiefs were eliminated from the NFL playoffs last week, Travis Kelce, the team’s star tight end, plans to play in each of the final three games of the season.
A 13-year veteran, Kelce knows these three games – starting Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, then Christmas Day against the Denver Broncos and the finale against the Las Vegas Raiders – could be the last of his illustrious career.
“It’s just about integrity, man,” Kelce said after Friday’s practice. “I signed up to be Chief and I love doing what I do. I know I’ve dreamed of being in these moments and playing for an NFL team since I was a kid. Coming back to it will give you more motivation than you could ever need. That’s exactly how you should work, whether you’re in the [playoff] race or not.
“I’m going to make sure these guys know I’m giving them everything I’ve got.”
A month ago, Kelce said he planned to decide whether to retire or return to the Chiefs by early March, before NFL free agency begins. Kelce, who is in the final year of his contract, said he understands how difficult it is for his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, to retire after the 2023 season.
Asked if he ever thought that last week’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers might have been his last game alongside quarterback Patrick Mahomes, his best friend on the team, Kelce said four words: “Oh man, that’s crazy.”
For much of this season, Kelce, 36, has spoken about his future only this season, and he did it again on Friday.
“I think I’d rather stay focused on this team right now,” Kelce said. “Any conversations I have with the team in the future will be with them. This is a unique time in my life. I have three games left. Unfortunately, I have three games left and I know when the season is over. I’m just trying to make sure everyone here knows that I’m focused on winning games. [in] these last three games.”
Mahomes suffered a torn ACL in his left knee with less than two minutes left in the season in Sunday’s loss to the Chargers. The next day, the team announced, Mahomes successfully underwent surgery to repair his ACL and torn LCL, with the surgery performed by Dr. Dan Cooper, head team physician for the Dallas Cowboys.
Kelce has since spoken with Mahomes, who began rehab on Tuesday.
“‘He’s my brother. I know everything he’s going through,” Kelce said of Mahomes. “It’s just disappointing, and then on top of that, it’s just a real stab in the back, knowing how the season ended for [Mahomes] on our last hope before the last journey of [Sunday’s] game. It looked like we were going to have a chance to win and maintain our [playoff] living hopes. From there, the situation continued to deteriorate.
“It sucks, man, but it’s reality. We’ve got three games left to try to enjoy it with the guys in this building. On top of that, the Chiefs kingdom deserves us to go out there and play our hearts out for them.”
Kelce leads the Chiefs in targets (92), receptions (67), yards (797), touchdowns (5) and first receiving downs (42). Trey McBride (1,071) of the Arizona Cardinals is the only tight end with more yards than Kelce.
This past offseason, Kelce did what he did as a young player: He trained in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with Tony Villani — this time looking to regain some of the speed, agility and quickness he thought he’d lost over the past two seasons. The notable improvement in his athleticism allowed Kelce to rediscover a trait that made him one of the league’s greatest pass catchers: he outsmarted opposing defenses with 409 yards after the catch, the third most of any tight end.
“I thought he had a hell of a year,” coach Andy Reid said of Kelce. “I thought he played well, he had great leadership, obviously, and I thought it was a step up even from what he had. [showed] last year. He made a point of it this offseason and really focused, finding himself in great shape. This helped him throughout the year. He managed to maintain that. »
If Kelce records 203 receiving yards over the final three games, he will become the oldest tight end in NFL history to record 1,000 yards in a season. But Kelce only wants to accomplish the feat in a certain way.
“If it’s about winning three games for the guys I work with, then yes, without a doubt,” Kelce said. “You could roll balls in a Walmart parking lot, man. Sign me up, baby. [If] I have a chance to play in the NFL, I’m going to do it.”
