The Super Bowl 59 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was brutal. It became evident shortly after opening kickoff that the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive line was no match for the Eagles' defensive front-seven. One player who looked especially out of sorts for the Chiefs was future first-ballot Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce. His hair looked great, but he looked like a guy past his prime out there for the Chiefs.
While it doesn't serve him to ever play for another NFL franchise, is it a year-to-year decision when it comes to playing for the Chiefs? He's 35 years old, is in a serious relationship with the biggest pop star of our generation, and already has three Super Bowl rings. He could sail off into the sunset into a budding media career, much like his older brother, Jason.
So what's he going to do? Dianna Russini of The Athletic said on The Rich Eisen Show that Kelce is leaning toward playing.
"There's definitely a sense that Travis is going to try to play more. I haven't heard anyone saying 'Yeah, he's really struggling with what he wants to do.' It's definitely leaning more towards that. That can of course change... But for this Chiefs operation looking to move forward here, I think they feel pretty good that Travis has a little more left in him."
Here is the entire the entire segment in which Russini appeared on The Rich Eisen Show this week.
Travis Kelce seems to be leaning toward playing in the NFL next season
If Kelce wants to keep playing for the Chiefs, Kansas City will surely find a way to make that happen. We're talking about one of the three greatest tight ends in the history of the NFL, along with Chiefs legend Tony Gonzalez and four-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski. Gonzalez may have the better numbers, but Kelce should eclipse Gronkowski with one more ring.
But is that a mistake? Last year was tough to watch. Yes, there were moments where Kelce looked like his old self, but we may have to accept that his elusive speed is no longer part of his arsenal. He may have to pivot and be a possession-receiving tight end like Gonzalez later became.
Overall, I think it would be a great thing to see Kelce come back and try to win one more Super Bowl in the next two seasons before retiring. Football is a collision sport, but Kelce seems to have had a clean bill of health when compared to most of his contemporaries, including Gronkowski, who is only a year or so older than him. The Chiefs need to fix their offensive line, but I am good with Kelce returning.
With that in mind, how Kelce plays next year should decide if this is really the end of the line for him.