Christmas loss amplifies Kelce's potential final home game, with a struggling Chiefs team and an uncertain future casting a shadow over his storied career.
The Kansas City Chiefs have reached double-digit losses in a season for the first time since 2012 after their 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos on Christmas Day. The only surprise during Thursday’s game was that it was as close as it was, with the Chiefs being forced to go up against the 12-3 Broncos with their third-string quarterback.
Ultimately, the Broncos came out on top in what was a tough day for both teams. It was especially tough for Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, as the game could have represented his last time playing in front of the Kansas City fans at Arrowhead Stadium.
Rumors around a potential retirement have been following Kelce for about a year now, but he returned in 2025 after not wanting to finish off his Hall of Fame career with a Super Bowl blowout. Unfortunately, 2025 has been much worse than a Super Bowl blowout, as the Chiefs have failed to look anything like the dominant force that football fans have become accustomed to over the last decade or so.
Now, Kelce is forced to play his potential last football games with a third-string quarterback throwing him the ball and with nothing meaningful to play for. It makes sense why the Bleacher Report NFL Staff named Kelce as the biggest loser from Thursday’s game.
“Could Kelce decide to run it back again in 2026? Sure. He isn't the player he once was after 13 seasons, but he's still a top-10 (if not top-five) tight end,” the staff wrote in a recent article. “However, the 36-year-old will also see the writing on the wall: The bill has come due in Kansas City. A combination of salary-cap constraints and missed draft picks have made the Chiefs mortal. They won't be legitimate contenders for a trip to SoFi Stadium in February 2027.”
It’s hard to imagine Kelce ending such an impressive career in such a demoralizing way, but imagining a return in 2026 may be even harder. Although he is still one of the better tight ends in the league, it’s clear he’s slowed down. With the seemingly bleak direction that the Chiefs are heading towards, it may be the wise choice for Kelce to finally jump ship while it’s not fully submerged under water.
Kansas City football will look much different without Kelce, whether that’s in 2026 or 2027. It may not be the storybook ending that Kelce deserves with Kansas City, but he’s done more than enough to establish himself as the Chiefs’ best tight end of all time, and one of football’s greatest to ever do it. Chiefs fans will be waiting anxiously to hear his decision on retirement at the season’s end.