The game that convinced Travis Kelce to stick with the Chiefs

A month on from a painful defeat at Super Bowl LIX, Travis Kelce has confirmed his plans for the 2025 NFL season. The three-time champion will continue with the Kansas City Chiefs, citing unfinished business with the team and the city.

The 35-year-old has one year remaining on his Chiefs contract but had opened the door to retirement after the conclusion of the 2024 season. His fate has been the subject of much speculation since the Chiefs' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last month but he revealed in his ‘New Heights’ podcast on Wednesday that he’s not ready to give up the game.

“I think the biggest thing is that I f***ing love playing the game of football,” Kelce said. “I love playing. I still feel like I could play it at a high level and possibly at a higher level than I did last year.”

However it’s not only a love for the game that spurred Kelce to stick with the Chiefs. The chastening 22-40 loss to the Eagles was one of the most one-sided in recent history, a major blow for this all-conquering Chiefs team. Reflecting on that defeat, Kelce admitted that it was a major part of his decision to return with the Chiefs.

“It was probably the biggest factor,” Kelce said of his Super Bowl frustrations. “I feel like I owe the guys that I come into that building with a whole lot more effort and focus, and I just don’t know what it was during that game, man. I wasn’t at my best.”

Beyond the team, Kelce added that he was disappointed that he wasn’t able to secure a historic three-peat for the people of Kansas City, where he has spent his entire professional career. Kelce was the 63rd pick of the 2013 NFL Draft when the Chiefs plucked him from the University of Cincinnati. Now, he is preparing for his 13th season with the team.

“I want to give it a good run. I got a bad taste in my mouth on how I ended the year and how well I was playing and how accountable I was for the people around me,” he said. “I love so many people in Kansas City, both in that facility and the community, and it’s home for me now. And you know, I don’t want to leave that life yet.”

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