Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce could be hearing the end of his Hall of Fame career — and going out on a sour note.
Kelce decided to return to the Chiefs after last season’s Super Bowl defeat, but did not make any commitments to his long-term future with the team beyond this season. There had already been growing retirement speculation surrounding the tight end, and Sunday’s brutal loss to the Houston Texans, along with some cryptic remarks from Patrick Mahomes, is only fueling speculation further.
Patrick Mahomes Fuels Retirement Talk
When asked about Kelce after the 20-10 loss, Mahomes turned heads with a comment that appeared to hint at the end of the tight end’s career. Though Mahomes did not directly say whether Kelce was headed toward retirement, the cryptic comments appeared to hint that he was entering the final four games of his career.
âEvery season Iâve had with him these last few years, I try to cherish because you never know,” Mahomes said. “He got himself in great shape this year and he’s played great football and he’ll have the option to do whatever he wants to do after this season, but I know one thing, he’s giving everything he has the rest of this season to try to make a playoff run.”
Kelce has faced retirement rumors throughout the season, but it intensified after the loss to the Texans due to a brutal miscue from the tight end. Kelce dropped a fourth-quarter pass that led to an interception.
The tight end has some big life changes ahead, getting engaged to longtime girlfriend Taylor Swift with rumors of a wedding date in June.
If Kelce is nearing the end of his career, it will be an unusual finish as the Chiefs appear headed to their first playoff miss in more than a decade.
Sunday’s loss sank Kansas City’s already dim playoff hopes even more. The Athletic’s playoff predictor noted that they dropped to a 16% chance of making the playoffs after Sunday’s loss, and no longer have any margin for error. If the Chiefs lose any of their remaining four games, their odds of making the playoffs drop to less than 5%.
Chiefs Face Scrutiny Over Travis Kelce’s Role
The Chiefs have faced some criticism over their preparation for Kelce’s potential retirement. SI.com writer Dominic Minchella suggests the team should be giving a bigger share of the offense to their younger pass-catchers, but instead continued to rely heavily on Kelce this season.
He noted that Kelce remains the team’s best pass-catcher when it comes to racking up yards after the catch, a potentially big area of need next season if Kelce chooses to retire.
âYes, itâs nice for the nostalgia aspect that a legend of the game has continued to find his stride in the offense and continues to keep up with some of the leagueâs best,â Minchella wrote. âBut, it is a tad concerning that the likes of Rashee Rice or Xavier Worthy arenât in his position, considering theyâre âthe futureâ of the franchise.â
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Travis Kelce Retirement Rumors Grow After Cryptic Patrick Mahomes Comment appeared first on Heavy Sports.