Travis Kelce is said to have ‘pondered retirement’ following the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl 59 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles on February 9.
Kelce, 35, could not help the Chiefs secure a third consecutive Super Bowl crown as the Eagles won 40-22 at Caesars Superdrome in New Orleans.
After the finale, it was revealed by the Chiefs’ general manager Brett Veach that Kelce had been battling illness in the days leading up to the showpiece event, which arguably could have influenced his performance.
The 35-year-old, who is in a relationship with singer Taylor Swift, has played for the Kansas-based team for 12 seasons.
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And despite rumours that he could call time on his career, ESPN’s Pat McAfee revealed that this may not be the case when he read out texts from Kelce on Thursday.
“My dog!!! I'm coming back for sure,” the supposed text from Kelce read.
“Gonna try and get to the best shape I've been this offseason and get back to the mountaintop.
“Got a real bad taste in my mouth with how I played in that last game and how I got the guys ready for battle. I can't go out like that!!!!”
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The Mail have claimed that Swift and Kelce see a thirteenth and final season as a ‘poetic’ way to end the Chiefs star’s illustrious NFL career.
“There was maybe a split second after the Chiefs got blown out that it might be it for Travis and he mulled over retiring, but he snapped out of it relatively quick, and the Chiefs have known all along his intentions to return for at least one more year was going to happen," a source told the Mail.
“They will all officially announce something before the NFL Draft, but Travis is looking forward to giving it one more year,” the source added.
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“There is a high likelihood that this will be his last year in the NFL, and he will not sign a new contract; the only thing not confirmed is if he will mention that this would be his last year or not. But he is looking forward to playing.
"He has mentioned that he isn't very superstitious, but he has discussed with Taylor that this year would be his 13th year in the NFL, her favourite number and they have talked about how cool it would be for him to play this year, and if it were to be his last, how poetic that would be for them."
The NFL regular season is set to get underway on September 5, 2025, with defending Super Bowl champions the Eagles hosting the first fixture.
Topics: Travis Kelce, Super Bowl, NFL, American Football
Luke Davies