Ride

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Day after day in late February, Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce kept saying the same thing, both to himself and those who wondered about his future — people such as coach Andy Reid; quarterback Patrick Mahomes; receiver Rashee Rice; his brother, Jason, the former Philadelphia Eagles center; and even TV host Pat McAfee.

“I can’t go out like that.”

Those six words were the main motivation for everything Kelce has done since early March, and everything leading up to next week when the Chiefs start their season in São Paulo against the Los Angeles Chargers in what could be the final season of Kelce’s illustrious NFL career.

Since he announced his return to the Chiefs in late February, all signs have pointed to the 2025 season being Kelce’s last. Since June, Kelce, who is in the final year of his contract, has spoken about his future with the team through only this season. Several members of the Chiefs’ organization, including in the front office and business department, are coy to use the word “retirement,” but they have already expressed their appreciation for Kelce’s importance to the franchise and have said they hope to experience plenty of joy while cherishing his performances.

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If this is, in fact, Kelce’s last ride, he is hoping to pull off a grand finish. He wants to lead the Chiefs back to the Super Bowl — and a victory to recapture the Lombardi Trophy that eluded them last season — by maximizing everything he has left, hoping to demonstrate a mastery of combining wisdom gleaned from his 12-plus seasons of NFL experience with a reconditioned body he spent the offseason revamping.

Kelce, who will turn 36 in October, is known for his ability to excel in the spotlight. He helped lead the Chiefs to three Super Bowl victories, he is already the most proficient pass catcher in the history of the NFL’s postseason, and he helped redefine the tight end position through his innovative route running in which he ad-libs based on coverage. And he knows a bigger spotlight, and even more cameras, will be awaiting him whenever he stops running routes. He is expected to have the chance to further grow as an American pop culture icon; and on Tuesday afternoon, he and pop star girlfriend Taylor Swift announced their engagement on social media.

But first, the Chiefs want to give Kelce a Hollywood-like ending in February, mirroring other Hall of Fame players who have ended their careers with a Super Bowl title — such as quarterback John Elway, running back Jerome Bettis and quarterback Peyton Manning.

“Hopefully he’ll go out a champion,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said at the NFL combine. “Hopefully, he has a magical season to end a magical career.”

The last time fans watched Kelce on the field, the Chiefs were dominated in Super Bowl LIX by the Eagles. Kelce — in the midst of a campaign in which he posted career lows in receiving yards (823), yards per reception (8.5) and receiving touchdowns (3) — had his worst performance of last season on the sport’s biggest stage, too, leading some analysts and fans to question if he could still be an effective player on a team with championship aspirations.

Seven months later, Kelce, who ranks fifth in Chiefs franchise history in games played (200), says he no longer cares about individual goals. He already has one of the best careers for a tight end in NFL history. He enters the season third all-time among tight ends in career receptions (1,004) and receiving yards (12,151), and fifth in receiving touchdowns (77). He and Mahomes have connected on 17 postseason touchdowns, the most by any duo in NFL history.

He’s playing this season for one reason and one reason only: winning a fourth Super Bowl ring.

“That’s the only way I determine whether it’s a success or not,” Kelce said.

The dream ending for Kelce? To go out like future Hall of Famers Peyton Manning, Jerome Bettis and John Elway did — hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Ashley Landis- AP; Ezra Shaw/Getty Images; Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images; Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post via Getty Images

THOUGH SUPER BOWL LIX had yet to end, the scoreboards inside Caesars Superdome in New Orleans that February night displayed that the Chiefs’ 2024 season — and their quest to become the NFL’s first three-peat champion in the Super Bowl era — was finished.

In the moments just before the Eagles celebrated their 40-22 victory, Mahomes greeted as many teammates as he could — the quarterback thanking his teammates for their diligence and brotherhood along the Chiefs sideline. When Mahomes reached Kelce, the two dapped, hugged and told one another they loved each other.

“I owe you a lot for what you’ve done,” Kelce told Mahomes.

The scene was the first glimpse of Mahomes realizing that perhaps he might not have his reliable tight end available for his next critical third-down play. For two weeks following the game, Mahomes never approached Kelce about the possibility of retirement but said the thought was always there.

“You have that in the back of your mind,” Mahomes said in June.

it’s a brotherhood pic.twitter.com/nrIh85MGTt

— NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2025

When Kelce made up his mind to return for 2025, less than a week after the Super Bowl loss, the first person he told was Reid — the lone coach he has played for in his NFL career.

Two weeks later, at the combine, the news of Kelce’s decision was shared on “The Pat McAfee Show.” During the program, McAfee read a text he received from Kelce.

“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,” Kelce wrote in the text. “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!!!!”

Later that Thursday, the “New Heights” podcast, hosted by Kelce and his brother, Jason, posted a confirmation on X: “From the desk of @tkelce: ITS TIME FOR YEAR 13.”

One reason Kelce chose to not retire is because he believed he could make significant improvements to his fitness.

“I love football,” Kelce said. “It’s all I know, man. It’s still my childhood dream. I really didn’t feel like it was my last game.”

IN JUNE, a month before the Chiefs’ training camp, Kelce was back in a familiar environment. While chatting with reporters in front of a backdrop with the Chiefs’ logo on it, Kelce raised his hands and chuckled. He wanted to stop a rumor.

“First off, I never said that,” Kelce said while smiling, his attempt to squash an ESPN report, sourced from someone in his inner circle, that Kelce lost 25 pounds in the four months since the Super Bowl.

Then, with quick comedic timing, Kelce showed his right index finger for the cameras.

“Don’t believe all you read on the internet, guys, all right,” Kelce said during the news conference. “I never told anybody.”

Then, with his head bowed, Kelce acknowledged the truth: He in fact did lose some weight, an amount he felt was necessary for him to be at his best in his 13th NFL season although he declined to share the exact number.

Kelce’s first decision after the decision was to have his offseason routine follow a simpler approach.

The 2024 offseason was a whirlwind for Kelce — he was following girlfriend (now fiancée) Taylor Swift around the globe on her “Eras Tour” and filming “Happy Gilmore 2” when he wasn’t with the pop icon. Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management; Scott Yamano/Netflix

The 2024 offseason was the most hectic of his life. He bounced from one event to the next, from one part-time TV job to the next and even had a supporting actor role in “Happy Gilmore 2,” the comedy starring Adam Sandler. And of course, he traveled across Europe with Swift at many stops on her Eras Tour, even performing a small role with her during one concert in London. During that time, one of his three personal trainers — Alex Skacel, Andrew Spruill and Laurence Justin Ng — was usually with him, focusing on maintaining his strength.

This offseason was different. Kelce did what he did when he was a younger player: He trained in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with trainer Tony Villani to recapture some of the speed, agility and quickness he felt he had lost over the years. A large focus for Kelce was plyometrics, sessions where he wanted to gain greater explosion when changing directions, a trait he mastered earlier in his career when he had the ball in the middle of the field to elude defenders.

“You’ve got to rebuild [your body],” Kelce said. “This year, I got some time to really focus on some form-running and some things early on in the offseason that I just didn’t have time for last year. Certainly, I’m feeling good, and I think it’ll pay off.”

Killa Trav’s still got it 🏹 pic.twitter.com/h6YAtdw2sp

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 1, 2025

Mahomes has noticed the work Kelce put in this offseason.

“For him, recalibrating and seeing where he’s at, he’s excited for another chance to make a run at it,” Mahomes said. “He’s working, and I know his body feels good. It feels better than even last year before going into last season.”

Kelce’s first test to see whether his altered regimen worked was during the first week of the Chiefs’ camp last month.

Slimmer and energized, Kelce made impressive highlights that produced some of the loudest roars from fans who attended practices. In a one-on-one matchup with safety Jaden Hicks, Kelce caught the ball and did his signature hesitation and wiggle moves to evade Hicks for additional yards. And a few minutes later, Kelce ran a slick seam route before leaping to catch a pass between linebacker Nick Bolton and safety Bryan Cook. Kelce also flashed his restored burst and acceleration while sprinting along the sideline for a 40-yard touchdown, leading Reid to quip about the tight end’s physical transformation.

“He’s svelte right now. He looks like he’s 20,” Reid said, grinning. “He’s doing a good job and he’s in great shape. I’m not sure he didn’t come in first on the whole conditioning thing. He was right up front.”

The coach and the quarterback, among his closest confidants, have seen a different Kelce this offseason, one who rededicated himself to his physicial conditioning and to his craft. David J. Phillip – AP; Charlie Riedel – AP

THE BIGGEST WAY for Kelce to impact the Chiefs’ games this season, he says, is by being the best leader he can be for his teammates. Kelce learned why leadership was so important during last season’s playoff run.

In the Chiefs’ 23-14 win over the Houston Texans in the divisional round, Mahomes threw a perfect deep pass in the second quarter to receiver Hollywood Brown. But Brown couldn’t make the catch. On the next snap, Mahomes trusted Kelce, who produced a memorable highlight.

The Texans blitzed and Mahomes found Kelce, who broke two tackles — which he hadn’t done at any point in the regular season, according to TruMedia — for a 49-yard gain. The Chiefs finished the drive with running back Kareem Hunt’s 1-yard touchdown run.

Early in the fourth quarter, on a critical third-and-goal play, Kelce recognized the Texans’ zone coverage and improvised his route — deciding to run to a different area of the end zone in the middle of the play — but was still available and in rhythm with Mahomes for an 11-yard touchdown catch.

MAHOMES TD TO KELCE AS HE FALLS DOWN

📺: #HOUvsKC on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/ytEUsoGyin

— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2025

The next week, in the Chiefs’ 32-29 victory over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game, Kelce, who finished with just two catches for 19 yards on four targets, was most impactful when he didn’t have the ball in his hands. Early in the first quarter, Chiefs receiver Nikko Remigio chose to fair catch a punt at the team’s own 10-yard line, even though he had plenty of room for a return.

“That’s not being great, bro,” Kelce told Remigio after the play.

Inspired by Kelce’s words, Remigio had his biggest moment in the game in the second quarter. He ignited the Chiefs with an impressive start-and-stop-and-start-again punt return that went 41 yards.

“That’s how you be great, dawg!” Kelce shouted at Remigio after the play.

The Chiefs capitalized on Remigio’s return when Mahomes scored on a 1-yard touchdown. The Chiefs’ final touchdown came on a designed run for Mahomes. On his 10-yard touchdown, Kelce was one of Mahomes’ lead blockers.

WHEELS STILL SPINNIN’‼️ pic.twitter.com/p9L7w06KQ3

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 27, 2025

But two weeks later, the Chiefs experienced misery, not history, in the blowout loss to the Eagles.

Days before facing the Eagles, Kelce began experiencing an illness, a detail Veach revealed at the combine. During the game, he struggled in each of his assignments from the Chiefs’ game plan. His route running was slower than usual, his blocking wasn’t up to standard and he couldn’t make the play or say the right words to his teammates to help spark the Chiefs to a comeback. The game also marked the first time in Kelce’s playoff career in which he was held without a reception in the first half.

“I failed, especially in that last game, in being a leader and being the one that can step up and make plays,” Kelce said. “I’m just setting the bar even higher for myself this year than I have in the past.”

Kelce was disappointed in his play against the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX: “I failed in being a leader.” Logan Bowles/Getty Images

KELCE HAS CONTINUED to focus on leadership this summer, beginning early at Chiefs training camp, which was located on the campus of Missouri Western State University.

Reid, an old-school coach entering his 27th season, is known for having one of the most grueling camps in the NFL. The tempo at practice is faster than that of a game; projected starters get more reps than normal, and players routinely leave the fields drenched in sweat and near exhaustion. Kelce knows Reid’s camp can test a player’s true love for the sport, especially when one is in the twilight of his career.

Even though he is entering Year 13, Kelce didn’t miss a single practice, consistently made athletic catches in the middle of the field and remained on the field to run more routes for Mahomes even after appearing fatigued the previous rep.

“I love it here,” Kelce said, who calls his time at the St. Joseph, Missouri, campus his football sanctuary. “It gets me away from everything else that’s going on in this crazy world. You can really just focus in on your craft and focus in on being the best you can for the guys around you.”

Early in camp, Kelce hosted several teammates in the same room Reid gave his first speech of the season to the team, giving them small giveaways from the “Happy Gilmore 2” film before showing them a screening of the movie just days before it premiered on Netflix. As the movie played, Kelce sat in the back, enjoying watching his performance and hearing his teammates laugh.

The guy on the Chiefs and The Waiter in Happy Gilmore 2.

Thanks for the early showing! Watch now on @netflix 🍿 pic.twitter.com/UJpCtFUHV7

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) July 28, 2025

The next day, during the Chiefs’ most demanding practice of camp — a stuffy, 90-degree day in which the heat index peaked over 100 — rookie left tackle Josh Simmons punched rookie defensive end Ashton Gillotte after a rugged rep in a 9-on-7 period.

The first teammate to help separate the two rookies was Kelce.

“He does it in a way like, ‘I’ve been there, and you don’t want to do that,'” Reid said of Kelce. “The guys trust him. That’s kind of the neat part about the job. You get to see guys mature like that. It’s probably no different than having kids. The thing is, it’s out in front of everybody because of the [immature] things he’d do [as a younger player] on the field and lose his temper. People saw it. Now they see what he is today. There’s a difference.”

As the Chiefs’ longest-tenured player, Kelce has in essence become an additional assistant coach. But Kelce wants to be more productive himself. After all, he ranked last this past season in yards per catch over expectation (YACOE) among pass catchers who ran at least 100 routes (minus-42). Kelce ran 525 total routes.

Kelce says he wants his presence — even if as an overqualified decoy — and skills to help develop the next generation of pass catchers for a franchise that hasn’t seen a 1,000 receiving season outside of Kelce since 2021 (Tyreek Hill).

This offseason, Mahomes has further strengthened his connection with his receiving options not named Kelce — such as Rice, Brown and fellow receivers Xavier Worthy and JuJu Smith-Schuster, as well as tight ends Noah Gray and Robert Tonyan and running back Isiah Pacheco.

We’re lucky to have you, Travis 🫶 pic.twitter.com/NneZnWwm0p

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 6, 2025

Throughout practices, several teammates on offense and defense have asked for Kelce’s guidance on certain techniques, coverages or the nuances of a specific play. Tonyan, a seven-year veteran who began his career with the Green Bay Packers alongside quarterback Aaron Rodgers, spent camp learning as much as he could from Kelce’s pre-snap reads against the defense’s potential coverages. Through two preseason games, Tonyan led the Chiefs with eight receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown.

“What better way to get better than to make sure that we lean on each other,” Kelce said. “If I can give somebody a word that makes them better on that specific route or doing that specific drill, man, I’m here for it.”

THE CHIEFS’ PENULTIMATE training camp session was a difficult one. It was the team’s final on-field work in full pads before it returned to its training facility in Kansas City. Most players appeared ready to return. The first team period was terrible for the offense. The defense created pressure to disrupt the offense’s timing, several players dropped passes and Mahomes voiced his frustration.

Then …

“Travis beats his man one-on-one and breaks out for a 20-yard gain,” pass game coordinator Joe Bleymaier said. “He kind of set the tone for everybody, that ‘Hey, you get man-to-man coverage, we’re winning these routes! Let’s go!’

“When everybody was pushing through the dog days of camp, it was him who made the play one-on-one. That kind of just goes to that bigger picture to where maybe you don’t recognize the years as much because it’s just the same old Travis. That’s what he’s always been doing.”

After setting the tone in training camp, Kelce wants to ensure his final ride doesn’t end before February. Charlie Riedel – AP

Kansas City is hoping that Kelce’s playmaking and leadership carry over into the games, beginning next week against the Chargers.

Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter could administer this season’s first stress test for Kelce by assigning safety Derwin James Jr. to him in man-to-man coverage. In the teams’ matchup last December, Kelce was not targeted on 10 routes when James was the primary defender.

As the year progresses, other opponents could try the Chargers’ strategy against Kelce, or what the Eagles did in the Super Bowl — dedicating two zone defenders to him.

Kelce, though, is ready for whatever comes, and is eager to showcase his mental and physical counterattacks — through smoother route running, noticeable changes in his athleticism and plenty of inner inspiration to go out with exceptional performances — in what could be his last chance to do so.

“It’s going to be a grind,” he said. “Hopefully it ends in February.”

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