Travis Kelce is thinking about his future after the Kansas City Chiefs lost their final game of the season.
“First of all, I love this team,” Kelce, 36, said in a video shared by Kansas City Star rreporter Sam McDowell road X after the NFL team lost to the Las Vegas Raiders 14-12 on Sunday, January 4th.
The athlete shared that he is “proud of the way we finished the season even though it ended the way it did.” He went on to give a shout out to his teammates who “still showed up and gave it their all” after the quarterback Patrick Mahomes succumbed to injury early in the season. (The Chiefs confirmed in December 2025 that Mahomes “He underwent successful surgery” after tearing the ACL.)
While discussing his retirement, Kelce added, “I have a lot of love for this team, this organization and the people here, so I’m going to spend some time with them, go through exit meetings tomorrow and reach out to the family and work things out.”
Kelce shared that he “knew right away” after the 2025 Super Bowl loss that he “wanted to give this (season) a shot.” As he pondered his decision this time around, Kelce said, “We’ll see.”
“Who knows? Either it hits me quickly or I have to take a little time,” he said, adding, “I think last year was a little bit easier.”
After a separate reporter asked Kelce if he felt he was a “better player” this season, he responded, “Obviously, we didn’t do as well as a team, but I felt like I came into the season prepared and ready to rock and roll with the right intentions.”
From Kelce’s perspective this season, “the ball didn’t come our way in a lot of those close games, unfortunately.” If he “chooses to come back” for another season, Kelce said, “That’s something I have to focus on.” He went on to cite his availability and staying “ready for those moments.”
Travis Kelce doesn’t have an answer to the question on everyone’s mind: He’s just trying to process his emotions as the Kansas City Chiefs wrap up their 2025 home schedule with another tough loss. “A lot of emotions,” Kelce, 36, told reporters after the Chiefs’ 20-13 home loss to the Denver Broncos on Thursday (…)
After the game, Kelce… who committed a taylor swift in 2025, he admitted to feeling “a lot of emotions.”
“You have everybody in the world looking at you,” he said during a news conference, according to the Associated Press. “You get to hang out with the young people on prime-time TV. The young people get a taste of what this NFL life is like.”
The timing of Kelce’s retirement has been a topic of conversation this NFL season as the Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014. As rumors swirled, Travis’ brother, Jason Kelcehe admitted that he is unsure of his brother’s plans. (Jason, now 38, retired from the league in 2024 after his career as a center for the Philadelphia Eagles.)
“I’m curious, too,” Jason told ESPN Monday night countdown issued in December 2025. “In my opinion, to make that decision, you need to step away from the game a little bit. Play these last three games, enjoy them with your teammates, enjoy them with your coaches. The team will be different, regardless of whether you come back next year or not.”