Key Points
- Chiefs eliminated from playoffs after Mahomes’ injury, now 6-8 with three games left.
- Travis Kelce reflects on possible retirement, citing difficulty maintaining previous performance.
- Rob Gronkowski predicts Kelce will retire, calling his career “significant” and “excellent.”
The Kansas City Chiefs have been eliminated from playoff contention with three games to go.
They stand at 6-8 and will finish the season with Gardner Minshew under center after the torn ACL and LCL suffered by quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
With the Chiefs’ 10-year playoff streak coming to an end, there have been questions about star tight end Travis Kelce’s future in the NFL.
He contemplated retirement last offseason but decided to come back for a 13th season.
And so far, Kelce has recorded 797 receiving yards and five touchdowns. That may be good but not by Kelce’s standards.
Recently, Kelce spoke about the decline in his play on his podcast, “New Heights.”
“You put in all this [expletive] work and hope that it pays off,” Kelce said. “And right now, it’s just for whatever [expletive] reason, man, it’s little things. I feel like I’ve always had the answers in years past. And this year, I just can’t find them.”
Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Could these be the final three games of Kelce’s career? Legendary NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski shared his thoughts.
“My gut tells me about Travis Kelce is that he will not be back next year,” Gronkowski, now a Fox Sports analyst, said on the “Up & Adams Show.” “He’s had a significant career.”
Gronkowski pointed out how Kelce is still having a great season.
“And let me tell you this, he has had an excellent year once again this year,” Gronkowski said. “He is a top tight end in the NFL. I mean, I’m not sure exactly what his stats are, but I know he’s producing. And if any team can get the type of production that he’s having this year, I mean, I’m talking like 25 other teams would take him in a heartbeat, especially with that production that he’s having. I mean, he’s getting first downs, he’s moving the chains, but we’re just so used to Travis Kelce playing at such a high level that he has been doing his whole entire career that now Father Time has gotten to him a little bit. So now we’re all wondering, oh man, what happened? Well, that’s just Father Time. He’s still a very good tight end. But in the end overall, where the Kansas City Chiefs are, with Patrick Mahomes getting hurt, with everything else that’s going on in Travis Kelce’s life, I think this is his last year and what a heck of a career he has had, no doubt about that.”
The Chiefs selected Kelce in the third round of the 2013 draft. He is arguably the greatest tight end in NFL history and is a three-time Super Bowl champion, four-time first-team All-Pro selection and 10-time Pro Bowler.
The Chiefs visit the Tennessee Titans (2-12) at 1 p.m. ET Sunday on CBS.
Travis Kelce Urged to Make Retirement Decision After Patrick Mahomes News
Travis Kelce hasn’t played up to his standards this season.
Max Escarpio
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About the author
Max Escarpio
Trending News Writer, Athlon Sports