Travis Kelce might already know what he wants for Christmas: A heartfelt send-off with plenty of holiday cheer from Chiefs fans on Thursday night. After the first-ballot future Hall of Fame tight end experienced the first game of the 2025 NFL regular season without a healthy Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, he should have plenty more reason to retire at the end of the season.
Mahomes tore his ACL in his left leg in the Week 15 loss to the Chargers and went down for the final three games. The Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention before taking the field in Week 16 against the previous 2-12 Titans in Nashville.
Kansas City had to roll with elevated backup Gardner Minshew starting, and he lasted less than one ineffective passing half vs. A bad pass defense before being ruled out with a knee injury. New No. 2 Chris Oladokun had to relieve Minshew. That QB combination led to the Chiefs not scoring a first-half touchdown for the first time all season.
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Despite top wide receiver Rashee Rice (concussion) also missing the game with Mahomes, Kelce had only one catch (from Oladukon) for six yards on four total targets from the Mahomes fill-ins through three quarters of the game, an eventual 26-9 touchdown-less loss .
Now the Chiefs are 6-9, facing a lot of needed offseason roster and personnel tweaks and an uncertain timeline for Mahomes to be back at his healthiest, best QB self. Before the season, Kansas City vs. Denver on the Week 17 schedule looked like an epic de facto AFC West title game. Now it likely will be a Broncos' coronation as the new division champs, with the dethroned Chiefs passing the torch.
Kelce was on the brink of hanging up after the Chiefs' tough Super Bowl 59 loss to the Eagles. He didn't like that taste of losing that chance at a fourth ring. At 36, now he's dealing with a massive Super Bowl hangover without a chance to even win a sixth AFC championship.
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This is the first time Kelce and the Andy Reid-coached Chiefs won't be in the playoffs since 2014, when Kelce had his big breakout second season with his first real game action.
Kelce is now facing a bittersweet back end but a convenient closing chapter. It's an easy out after 13 seasons ahead of turning 37 next October. He is engaged to be married to the biggest pop music star on the planet. He has one of the nation's most popular podcasts. He has the door to do almost anything he wants in the world of sports and entertainment.
Kelce already has dropped hints to fuel the "he's retiring" rumors, including referring to the Chiefs as more of a "them" than a "we" on recent episodes of "New Heights." Kelce also has been too critical of his own play and its role on the team's shocking fall.
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Kelce came back to try to win another Super Bowl in 2025. Mahomes' injury now also clouds how good the Chiefs can be in 2026. Time is not on Kelce's side to wait that long.
When Kelce plays in front of Chiefs Kingdom in the home season finale against the Broncos, he will be the man of the three hours. Figure his life partners, Taylor Swift and Jason Kelce, will be in front of the skybox, along with close family and friends to celebrate the holiday right along with Travis' amazing NFL career as the GOAT tight end.
If Kelce couldn't end his career walking off the field as a Super Bowl champion, that should feel like a close second, despite the circumstances. He's done everything he can to help Mahomes and the Chiefs win so many meaningful games. Now it's his turn to mean the most for the team.
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