The Kansas City Chiefs would welcome Travis Kelce with open arms if he returns next season but will modify his involvement in the team’s offense.
After a humiliating 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles spoiled the Chiefs’ threepeat dreams, retirement rumors have hovered over Kelce’s future.
While his next move remains unknown, Nate Taylor of The Athletic told 96.5 The Fan where the Chiefs stand with the tight end.
According to Taylor, the Chiefs want Kelce to return for another season. However, he would have to be okay with not being the focal point of the offense and become a role player.
In his tenth year with Kansas City, Kelce’s numbers have fallen significantly from previous campaigns. While he’s tallied 97 receptions, four more than last year, the tight end is seeing career-low yards (823) and touchdowns (3).
Philadelphia held Kelce to four receptions out of six targets and a paltry 39 yards. They also sacked quarterback Patrick Mahomes six times in the defensive masterpiece in the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs want Travis Kelce to return for another season but not as the focal point in offense
Talks of retirement have surrounded the tight end’s future after losing in the Super Bowl
With rumors of retirement circulating, the three-time Super Bowl champion addressed the whispers in the latest installment of the New Heights podcast.
‘I’m gonna take some time to figure it out,’ said Kelce. ‘And I think I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back that it’s gonna be a wholehearted decision and I’m not half-a**ing it, and I’m fully here for them.
‘I think I can play, it’s just whether or not I’m motivated or it’s the best decision for me as a man, as a human, as a person to take on all that responsibility.’
Should he retire, Kelce has long expressed interest in working in media and getting involved on and off camera on several projects. His on-screen endeavors include the horror series Grotesquerie, Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader, and hosting Saturday Night Live.
