Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is used to being the most dominant tight end in the league, but that certainly was not the case this season, painting a brutal reality for him in the future.
Statistically, Kelce just had his least productive season since becoming a full-time starter, with his receiving numbers dropping across nearly every category.
The veteran tight end posted career-low numbers in yards per game, yards per reception, and yards after the catch. He also saw a decrease in his average depth of target and recorded fewer touchdowns this season than in any other season previously.
That continued in the Super Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night where he had just four catches for 39 yards, including two drops.
Kelce has been open about his struggles and the very real possibility that he could choose to retire following the season, admitting that he would re-consider his football future at the end of the season.
“I love everything that I’m doing … but at the end of the day, I’m not having that extreme success on the field,” Kelce said on the Stephen A. Smith Show. “I’m excited for these next couple of games … to finish this season off. I’ll re-evaluate it like I always do.”
If Kelce is going to return to the NFL next season, Ryan Clark of ESPN points out that he is going to have to accept that he is “a dimished player” compared to his dominance in previous seasons.
“Still feeling like you can still do it and you still have it, you just don’t have it like you used it,” Clark said. “It’s going to be based on whether or not Travis Kelce understands that he’s a dimished player and is comfortable with that.”
.@RealrClark25 believes Travis Kelce's future depends on whether he's comfortable being a "diminished player" at this stage of his career ✍️ pic.twitter.com/meYQXPWmvT
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 10, 2025
Kelce is obviously still able to compete at a high level, just not exactly to the level that he used to, which could play a role in Kelce’s retirement decision.
“When you’re at the highest of highs, when you’re the best pass-catching tight end in the history of the National Football League, it’s hard to into a game last night and have two drops, not have any impactful catches or impact on the game. Can Travis Kelce go forward in 2025 and be that person, especially when so many lucrative opportunities await him in his second career?” Clark said.
When Kelce does walk away from the game, a wealth of opportunities await between endorsement deals, his hit podcast with his brother, media opportunities, his budding acting career, and his relationship with pop sensation Taylor Swift.
Kelce is simply going to have to decide what he thinks is best for him.
“Travis Kelce is going to have to take some time and sit down and known what sort of player he wants to be and what sort of life he wants to live. But he’s earned the right to take his time in doing so,” Clark said.
We’ll have to see what he chooses to do.
