Patrick Mahomes sounds like he’s saying goodbye to Travis Kelce amid retirement buzz

The Kansas City Chiefs entered Sunday's Super Bowl LIX matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles looking to do what no NFL team has done in the Super Bowl era — three-peat. Their opponent was formidable, obviously, but could anyone really doubt the Chiefs on the biggest stage based on their track record?

As it turns out, this Chiefs team should have been doubted. Hindsight is 20/20, obviously, but this was a mismatch from the very start. The Eagles held a 24-0 lead at the half, and led by as many as 34 points in their dominant victory.

Kansas City's defense wasn't great, but the lack of offense from Patrick Mahomes and all of his weapons was what was really startling. The Chiefs offensive line didn't help, but still, you'd think Mahomes and Co. would figure something out while the game was still within striking distance.

Perhaps the biggest culprit of Kansas City's disappearing act was Travis Kelce, a player who has been flirting with retirement. His underwhelming performance in the Super Bowl raises more questions about his NFL future than answers.

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Travis Kelce retirement chatter will only increase following major Super Bowl dud

Mahomes and Kelce have formed one of, if not the greatest connection in NFL history, which is crazy to say with Mahomes still under the age of 30. Mahomes is already one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, and when Kelce does retire, he'll be one of the greatest tight ends to ever lace up the spikes.

That simple fact is why Kelce recording just four receptions for 39 yards in the biggest game of his life with Mahomes throwing to him is just so shocking. He didn't even record a single reception in the first half! Sure, Kelce might not be the dominant force he once was, but we already saw a vintage Kelce game in these very playoffs. There's no reason to expect him to not show up on the Super Bowl stage, so again, this kind of a dud is stunning.

Kelce's no-show raises retirement questions, and what Mahomes had to say after the game only adds fuel to that fire.

Mahomes is not Kelce, but this answer is fascinating. He acknowledges that Kelce has a lot of football left in him, but if he was so confident that his tight end was going to come back for another run at a Super Bowl, why would he go on a tangent talking about what Kelce has done and about how he'll soon be a Hall of Famer?

This really sounds like an answer someone gives when they know their friend is about to retire, especially when it's given right after said friend had such an underwhelming showing in the Super Bowl.

At this point, Kelce has nothing else to prove. He's a three-time Super Bowl champion and one of the greatest tight ends to ever live. Whether this is it or not, he will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. The question now is does Kelce want to add even more to his resume or is he satisfied with what he's done? Mahomes seems to hint at the answer being the latter.