- Travis Kelce has already cemented his legacy as one of the greatest tight ends to ever play in the NFL.
- However, he has a sour taste in his mouth after the Kansas Chiefs were pounded 40-22 by the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.
- After considering retirement, Kelce announced he’ll return to the Chiefs for his 13th season.
The NFL season didn’t end the way Travis Kelce wanted to. The legendary tight end got to Super Bowl 59 with the Kansas City Chiefs, but they were pummeled 40-22 by Philadelphia.
Kelce had considered retiring, but the 35-year-old announced his plans to return to the NFL for his 13th season in 2025.
Why is Travis Kelce Returning?
The news was announced by ESPN’s Pat McAfee, who read a text from Kelce on his show on February 27.
Kelce stated:
"I'm coming back for sure. Gonna try to get into 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 with how I got the guys ready for battle. I can't go out like that!!!!"
Kelce’s life could be made of a movie that is included in the Oscars odds. He was a third-round pick in 2013, who worked to be the Chiefs’ #1 tight end. Even though he had two 1,000-yard seasons in 2016 and 2017, Kelce’s career took off when Patrick Mahomes took over for Alex Smith as the Chiefs’ #1 quarterback.
Since then, Kelce has rattled off five more 1,000-yard seasons, including a career high of 1,416 yards. He has three seasons with 10 touchdowns or more, and 12,151 yards on 1,004 catches and 77 touchdowns for his career. He also has the NFL record for playoff receptions with 172, while Kelce has three Super Bowl wins, and he’s been a four-time All-Pro.
Off the field, Kelce has been in a relationship with Taylor Swift, and there are plenty of Swift-Kelce props out there at betting sites. The two have been involved since 2023, and there were rumors that he may have proposed and retired had the Chiefs beat the Eagles. He also has his wildly popular “New Heights” podcast, which he does with his brother Jason, who played with the Eagles for 13 seasons.
But Kelce, who is going into the last season of his contract, has decided to give football at least one more season.
Will Travis Kelce Be Better in 2025?
Kelce had 97 catches for 823 yards and three touchdowns in 2024, and it seemed like the Chiefs were keeping him fresh for the postseason. But at 35, his burst is gone and he doesn’t get yards after the catch as easy as he used to.
The Chiefs also lost #1 receiver Rashee Rice to a knee injury early in the season, and having him back will take some of the attention off Kelce, who was often double-teamed. Having Rice back will be a definite boost to the Chiefs’ Super Bowl odds, where they’re behind only Philadelphia.
Kelce won’t be the player that he was even two years ago. But he can still be effective, and Kansas City coach Andy Reid can still plan to get him easier catches. If he arrives in shape and ready to go for training camp, you can expect Kelce to be good, just not great.
