The Kansas City Chiefs do not have much to be excited about over the final two weeks of the season, though a team announcement on Tuesday involving Travis Kelce offered a bright spot in an otherwise down December for the defending AFC champions.
Kansas City took to social media and revealed that Kelce, along with three of his teammates, had earned a Pro Bowl nod for the 2025 campaign.
“Pro bowlin’,” the Chiefs captioned the X graphic.
Joining Kelce on the AFC Pro Bowl roster are defensive tackle Chris Jones, center Creed Humphrey and offensive guard Trey Smith.
Noticeably absent from the list is quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who was a strong MVP candidate early and midway through the year. However, he is an alternate for the Pro Bowl game, though won’t play due to a recent injury.
Mahomes suffered season-ending ACL and LCL tears against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15, the same contest that slammed the door on the Chiefs’ chances to return to the playoffs for the 11th consecutive time, as well as to the Super Bowl for what would have been their fourth consecutive appearance in the sport’s biggest game.
Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes Among Most Decorated NFL Players of Last Decade
GettyQuarterback Patrick Mahomes (left) and Travis Kelce (right) of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kelce’s selection is the 11th such honor of his career and 11th consecutive Pro Bowl appearance across his 13-year stint in the NFL. He is also a seven-time All-Pro, an award that the league has yet to announce for the 2025 campaign.
Through 15 games this season, Kelce has amassed 68 catches for 803 receiving yards and five TDs. He has two weeks yet to play, though how the tight end’s statistics will fair is a valid question, as both Mahomes and backup QB Gardner Minshew are out with injuries.
Mahomes earned Pro Bowl honors in each of his first six seasons as the starter after a rookie campaign in which he appeared in just a single game. He did not earn a Pro Bowl spot in 2024, despite the Chiefs going 15-2. Mahomes did, however, finish sixth in voting for the league MVP award last year.
Travis Kelce Holding Off on Official Retirement Decision Until Season’s End
GettyTight end Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Pro Bowl news for Kelce and his three teammates is a nice, and perhaps needed, distraction for the team and its fans as they grapple with what could be the end of a dynastic era in Kansas City.
The Chiefs have played in five Super Bowls, winning three of them, during the Mahomes-Kelce era, which began in earnest back in 2018 when Mahomes officially became the team’s starter.
Analysts around the league have speculated that this year may well be Kelce’s last, parsing recent comments he has made and deflated body language with regards to tough losses and Mahomes’ injury. But Kelce has yet to announce anything.
“I’d rather keep the focus of the media and everything on this team right now,” Kelce said during a December 19 press conference. “All the conversations I have with the team and everything moving forward will be with them. I think it’s a unique time in my life. Unfortunately I’ve got three games left, and I know when the season ends this year.”
“Typically we go into it and we don’t know when it’s going to end, and that’s the beauty of it,” he continued. “Just trying to make sure that everybody here knows that I’m focused on trying to win football games, these last three games.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Chiefs Announce Major Travis Kelce News Amid Retirement Rumors appeared first on Heavy Sports.