Travis Kelce and Andy Reid have been through it all together during their time with the Kansas City Chiefs. Ahead of what might be the all-time great tight end’s final home at Arrowhead Stadium, Reid saluted Kelce for the work he’s put in with the franchise and the Kansas City community.
“I don’t know if it is or not. I haven’t talked to him,” the Chiefs coach told reporters when asked if Thursday’s game against the Denver Broncos will be the last time Kelce takes the field at Arrowhead Stadium. “But I think his numbers and personality and the person, you know, I think speak for themselves. Phenomenal person, great for the community, has been great for the community. He’s everything you want from a player represented in an organization.”
Kelce, 36, openly flirted with retirement following the Chiefs’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX last season, but he committed to play for the 2025 season just a few weeks later. But the retirement rumors have persisted this season, with the Chiefs slipping to 6-9 and Kelce set to miss the playoffs for the first time since his second year in the league (2014).
Kelce has said that his decision will be made quickly after the season ends, giving the Chiefs ample time to not only prepare for free agency and the draft but also their future without him.
For now, though, Kelce is focused on closing the season out.
“I’d rather just keep the focus on this team right now,” Kelce said last week, “and all the conversations I have with the team and everything moving forward will be with them. And I think it’s a unique time in my life, and unfortunately I know when the season ends this year. Typically we go into it and we don’t know when it will end.”
Kelce’s had a heck of a final season, if that turns out to be the case. He has 68 catches for 803 yards, allowing him to join Jerry Rice as the only players in NFL history to eclipse the 800-yard receiving mark in 12 consecutive seasons. Kelce also has five touchdown receptions, matching the most he’s had in the past three seasons. He was named a Pro Bowler for the 11th straight season on Tuesday, receiving the most fan votes this year.
And while Kelce could have shut it down after the Chiefs were eliminated from postseason contention for the first time since his first full season in the NFL, he has continued to take the field every day. He had a single catch for 6 yards in last week’s 26-9 loss to the Tennessee Titans, but it pushed his streak — the longest active one in the league — to 189 games with at least one reception.
It didn’t help that backup quarterback Gardner Minshew joined Kelce’s good friend, Patrick Mahomes, by tearing ligaments in his knee one week after the two-time MVP. Chris Oladokun finished the game at QB and will start on Thursday night against Denver.
“I will say this: What [Kelce] is going through even these last couple games — we’re out of the playoffs, we’re out, and he’s out there every day, practicing, leading, helping people out,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy told reporters earlier this week. “That should show a lot of these younger guys why he’s playing this game, and why he is so special.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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