The Kansas City Chiefs are a couple of months removed from their dominant loss in Super Bowl LIX to the Philadelphia Eagles, and one of the main storylines following the game was the future of star tight end Travis Kelce. After spending 12 seasons with Kansas City, Kelce was contemplating retirement.

However, after taking some time to consider his options, he texted Pat McAfee during a live episode of the “Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN to announce that he is returning for his 13th season. He also revealed that he is more motivated than ever to get into the right shape after what many considered an underwhelming season compared to his usual standards.

It seems that Kelce is following through on his plans to train hard. At the annual owners meeting on Monday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to reporters and revealed that Kelce is putting in a tremendous amount of work, sending a clear message to the rest of the NFL.

“I always like guys to step back [after the season], but he wants to come back and he’s training like crazy, too,” Reid said.

Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce and head coach Andy Reid celebrate after beating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII in 2023.

Michael Chow / USA TODAY NETWORK

Last season, Travis Kelce hauled in 97 receptions, 823 receiving yards, just three touchdowns, and averaged 8.5 yards per catch. It’s the lowest number of touchdowns he’s scored in any season of his career outside of 2013 which was his rookie year and recorded no active stats.

But with a focused and motivated Travis Kelce, he seems poised for a big year as the Chiefs aim to return to the Super Bowl and capture their third title in a four-year span.

“I think the biggest thing is that I love playing the game of football, I love playing. I still feel like I can play it at a high level, possibly at a higher level than I did last year. I don’t think it was my best outing.” said Kelce. “I think I let my guys down in a lot more moments than I helped them, especially if you look at my track record and how I’ve been in years past. I want to give it a good run. I got a bad taste in my mouth in how I ended last year and how well I was playing and how accountable I was to the people around me.”