Travis Kelce retirement decision after Chiefs loss could come down to one simple reason

The Kansas City Chiefs dream of a three-peat was derailed with a 40-22 beatdown by the Philadelphia Eagles, which avenged their Super Bowl 57 loss from two years ago. Even with a three-peat on the line, something was clearly off with these Chiefs the entire game. The final score speaks for itself.

As the Chiefs now enter the offseason, they must figure out what went wrong in the Super Bowl, and even during the regular season and how they will fix those issues. One of those questions involves the future status of star tight end Travis Kelce. Even before the kickoff, there were rumors out there about his NFL future, and the result of the Super Bowl was going to play a huge role, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Regardless of the decision, Travis Kelce's legacy and future is secure

Even if he decides to retire, Kelce's legacy is secured. He overcame a drug suspension while he was at University Of Cincinnati to become one of the greatest tight end in NFL history. He has parlayed his NFL success into successful business ventures outside of football, such as the launching of New Heights podcast with his former NFL player brother, Jason Kelce.

And like Jason, Travis Kelce is a natural in front of camera having done multiple commercials and acting. He could thrive either inside the booth or as a studio analyst for networks and streaming companies regardless of his relationship with pop superstar Taylor Swift.

Still, after failing to become the first NFL team in history to win three straight Super Bowls, the weight on the shoulders of every Chiefs player and coach has to be lifted and relieved. They can start all over again and no longer have to deal with the three-peat and the dynasty talk for awhile. Maybe the Super Bowl loss will push Kelce to put off retirement for one more year rather than the sad, dejected look he showed on the bench. Mike Jones of The Athletic hinted at that fact in a recent article:

“But it also wouldn’t be surprising if Kelce ultimately decided the taste of this defeat was too strong for him to ignore, and opted to chase one final crack at Super Bowl win No. 4," Jones wrote.

Even in an off year by his standards, Kelce had 823 yards and three touchdowns. While he could have been more of a threat in the end zone, Kelce was a constant first-down threat and a reliable target for Patrick Mahomes. His exit from the league would be felt by the Chiefs and Mahomes, and not easily replaced.