Travis Kelce not making any ‘crazy decisions’ about retirement after Super Bowl LIX heartbreak
Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce says he won’t make any “crazy decisions” about his future in the NFL, as he contemplates retiring from the sport following defeat at Super Bowl LIX on Sunday.
Speaking on the latest episode of his “New Heights” podcast, Kelce spoke to his brother Jason about how he struggled with aspects of the sport this year, explaining the mental battle he’s had with seeing a decline in his performances.
“I know everybody wants to know whether or not I’m playing next year, and right now, I’m just kicking everything down the road. I’m kicking every can I can down the road and I’m not making any crazy decisions,” a somber Kelce said.
“Right now, the biggest thing is just being there for my teammates and being there for my coaches. There’s a lot that goes into this thing. I’ve been fortunate over the past five, six years, I’ve played more football than anybody and it’s because the people that are in that building.
“The fact that we keep going to these AFC Championships and these Super Bowls means I’m playing an extra three games more than everybody else in the entire league and that’s a lot of wear and tear on your body.
“It’s a lot of time spent in the building, focusing on your craft, focusing on the task at hand, every challenge that you set up for yourself. That process can be grueling, it can weigh on you, it can make you better and it could drive you crazy at the same time. Right now, it’s one of those things where it was kind of driving me crazy this year.”
The Chiefs, bidding for a historic three-peat, were dominated by the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans on Sunday, falling to a 40-22 defeat on the biggest stage of all.
Kelce, who had been so vital in the franchise building its dynasty, was ineffective for much of the game, making four receptions for 39 yards.
In truth, the tight end had a relatively slow season – by his standards – heading into the Super Bowl, but many predicted his relationship with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes would click when it really mattered.
However, neither showed what they were previously capable of and the anguish was clear to see on Kelce’s face when it was all over.
“As you see yourself, or not feel yourself, have the success that you once used to have, it’s a tough pill to swallow,” he added.
“And then on top of that, to not be there in the biggest moments, knowing your team’s counting on you, those are all extremely hard things. It’s just a tough reality and I’m going to take some time to figure it out. I think I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back, that it’s going to be a wholehearted decision.
“I think I could play, it’s just whether or not I’m motivated or it’s the best decision for me, as a man, as a human, as a person to take on all that responsibility.”
Before the Super Bowl, though, 35-year-old Kelce sounded more optimistic about his future in the sport.
Speaking to reporters in the buildup, he said he hoped to still be playing football in three years.
“I love doing this, I love coming to work every day and I feel like I still have a lot of good football left in me, but we’ll see what happens,” he said then.
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Kelce was one of the biggest stories going into the Super Bowl this year, for more than one reason.
His on-the-field success speaks for itself and he’s widely considered one of the best tight ends to play in the NFL. But it’s also come hand-in-hand with fame off the field, courtesy of his lucrative podcast, acting jobs, endorsements and his relationship with pop superstar Taylor Swift.
Last year, for example, Kelce was able to use the extra attention as fuel for his performance.
On Sunday, though, it looked to weigh heavy on him as the Eagles dominated almost every aspect of the game.
“Just wasn’t our day. Couldn’t find a lick of momentum. I’m kicking myself for some of the tiny, tiny decisions I made on the field,” Kelce said on “New Heights.”
“I wasn’t the best leader that I could be in motivating my guys and keeping my guys calm, cool and collected and I put a lot of that on myself as, you know, the guy that’s been in the building for 12 years and seen a lot of football and actually seen a situation just like this in the Super Bowl.”
Speaking to his brother, who retired from the NFL himself recently, Kelce added. “I love my teammates, I love my coaches. Chiefs Kingdom, I’m sorry for how it ended. I have a beautiful life, man.
“I have loved ones, I have the most amazing family in the world that supports me in everything that I do and they were all there, cheering me on and hoping for the best on Sunday, man.”
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