Travis Kelce spoke publicly for the first time since announcing he would return to Kansas City Chiefs under his podcast, which was released Wednesday.
Kelce, 35, initially said he “kicked each, I can down the road” with regard to his decision to retire in the episode shortly after Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss to Philadelphia Eagles.
The tight end of the star said, in the end he still loves to play football as part of the reason for his return.
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Kansas City Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce, #87, during a press conference before the Super Bowl Lix in New Orleans Marriott. (Stephen Lew-IMAGN images)
“I think the biggest thing is that I F — ing love to play football games,” Kelce said. “I still feel like I can play at a high level and possibly at a higher level than I did last year. I don’t think it was my best excursion. I think I let my guys down for many more moments than I helped them,” Kelce said at “new heights.”
“Especially if you look at my track record and how I’ve been in previous years. I want to give it a good run. I have a bad taste in my mouth in how I ended the year and how well I played and how responsible I was for the people around me. And I love so many people in Kansas City, both in that facility and in the community and it is home to me.
“I don’t want to leave that life yet. I have put a lot of hard work and put a lot of focus on being the best I can for KC. Last year, it did not end well for us, and I feel like there is a responsibility in me to play the contract I initially signed to give Kansas City and Chiefs Organization all I have got and that is what I have to do, man.”
Kelce said his decision to return was based on sensation and “pure stomach.”
“It looks like all the decisions I make. It’s just out of feeling,” he added. “I’m not a big measure of the advantages and disadvantages and all this, pure mage feeling. I f — ing love this game and I love to go into the building with the guys who are there.”
Travis Kelces Podcast confirms his NFL -Backing Wing with Nodde to the Legendary ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ scene
Kansas City Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce, #87, celebrates after capturing a passport during the second half of a NFL Football AFC Divisional Playoff match against Houston Texans on Saturday 18 January 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
“Coach (Andy) Reid has been one of the biggest influences on my life, not just in the football game. And I don’t want to stop going to work with him. I don’t want to stop learning from him. I don’t want to stop being the reason he’s success, or being part of the reasons he’s success. I want that guy to have the most success in the world because he’s been in my life.
“There are so many people in the building that I love with all my heart husband. I will continue to live out of these dreams and go to work with them. I never have some kind of other guessed it. Even when it got tough last year on the body or after the Super Bowl, and you are on your constantly low, there was something in a motivating factor that you can do this and would do this.
Kelce said that Chiefs’ Super Bowl -Tab was probably “the biggest factor” in his return, but said that even though they won against the Eagles, he was still back.
“I mean it’s a pretty cool way to go out, but I still think I would still have this love for the game and I think I would have thought more about it if we would have won. I think because we lost and how we lost and just the feeling.
“The end of this game, I want to owe the guys that I come into that building with a whole lot of more effort and focus, and I just don’t know what it was under the game man. I wasn’t on my best.”
Kansas City Chief’s tight end Travis Kelce, #87, goes off the field after a loss to Philadelphia Eagles under the NFL Super Bowl Lix Sunday 9 February 2025 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Kelce also said he thinks he can be a better player than he was last season.
The NFL veteran was still productive last season, but his yards (823) and Touchdowns (3) during the regular season this year was the lowest he has had throughout the season.
If Chiefs are to return to the Super Bowl in the fourth consecutive season next year, they need their star tight end to be at its best.
