The Kansas City Chiefs’ blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX will haunt the team for quite some time.
While Kansas City was on the brink of making NFL history with a Super Bowl three-peat, the team fell apart in all three phases during their 40-22 defeat. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, known for making big plays when the team needs him the most, failed to record a catch in a postseason first half for the first time in his career.
The 35-year-old All-Pro finished the game with four catches for 39 yards. “It just wasn’t our day,” Kelce lamented on his “New Heights” podcast earlier this month.
“I couldn’t find a lick of momentum. I’m kicking myself for some of the tiny, tiny decisions I made on the field. I wasn’t the best leader that I could be.”
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
“It’s a tough pill to swallow. It’s a hard reality, man. I love my teammates, I love my coaches. Chiefs Kingdom, I’m sorry for how it ended,” Kelce added.
While much of the discussion surrounding Kelce following the Super Bowl is whether or not he’s planning to retire, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach seems pretty confident that the 10-time Pro Bowler will return to play next season.
Veach told to NFL Networks’ Tom Pelissero at the NFL Combine on Feb. 25. “We’re excited to have Travis back and that’s how we’re operating this offseason.”
When asked what “version” of Kelce they’ll get “at this stage of his career,” Veach touted his Hall of Fame resume and Kelce’s role as leader. While “Playoff Trav” proved to be unstoppable during last year’s Super Bowl run, Veach revealed Kelce was not even close to 100% before the game in New Orleans.
“Listen, we’re never going to make excuses but he was battling through a pretty big illness there,” Veach said. “But listen, with the way the Eagles play, it wouldn’t have made a difference.”
Kelce did not appear to be sick while stepping out for a double-date with his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany Mahomes, two days before the Super Bowl. Nor did he look unwell in interviews leading up to the game.
A bug did go around that kept a few players on both teams limited in practice, but Kelce was not included on the injury report.
Kelce being unwell came as a surprise to most fans. One woman posted, “WHAT!!! PRETTY BIG ILLNESS??? Like what? Did he have the stomach flu or eat bad oysters? What is he talking about? Did the rest of the team have it?
One person commented, “The illness: age.” Another fan wrote, “Oh here come the excuses.”
