Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has given Chiefs fans plenty of memorable performances over the years, and last night he provided another one in what may have been his last home game at Arrowhead.
With quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew out, Kelce took over on the final drive with the Chiefs trailing the Denver Broncos, 20-13. He used a series of veteran moves to turn short throws from third-string QB Chris Oladokun and turned them into first-down plays that kept the drive alive.
Kelce couldn’t will the Chiefs to a win, as Oladokun’s final throw sailed over the head of receiver Hollywood Brown in the end zone after the Broncos finally woke up and started double-teaming the tight end. Not surprisingly, Kelce got to face another round of questions about his possible retirement, and it was just as unsurprising that he got emotional as he responded.
"A whole lot of emotions," Kelce said after the game in an AP story by way of ESPN. "You've got everybody in the world watching you. You get to go out there with the young guys on prime-time television. Young guys getting an opportunity to taste what this NFL life is like."
The Chiefs tight end showed those younger players what was possible in a game Kansas City entered as a two-touchdown underdog, but he stayed the course with his responses to the retirement question.
“Honestly, I’ve just been focused on trying to win football games, man,” Kelce added in a piece written by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “I’ll let that be a decision I make with my family, friends, the Chiefs organization when the time comes."
That time is approaching and Kelce will face an interesting choice. Father Time has robbed him of some of his skills, but Kelce can clearly still play, and he’s beyond loyal to Mahomes. That final drive proved how useful he could be in a more limited role, and Kelce would obviously be a great metnor if the Chiefs decide to draft his eventual replacement.
But Kelce also has a new life calling with his billionaire bride-to-be, so it will be interesting to see if he elects to postpone his retirement yet again. He decided to come back after the Chiefs were routed in the Super Bowl by the Philadelphia Eagles last season, but this time the circumstances will be very different with the Chiefs now at 6-10 and possibly facing a serious roster makeover.