On Sunday night, the Kansas City Chiefs were eliminated from the playoffs. It was the first time the Chiefs have failed to make the playoffs in over a decade. Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL in Sunday’s game, and that was officially the “reason” why the Chiefs lost, although it does feel like the Chiefs were having a particularly bad season overall. Obviously, people are centering this loss on Travis Kelce – after the Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss in February, there was a conversation about whether Kelce would retire or play one more year. He decided to give it a go for one more year. Does it follow that he will announce his retirement now, or will he try his luck for one more season? This is what happened after the game:
Travis Kelce looked defeated after the Chiefs were eliminated from the playoffs. The 36-year-old tight end somberly hung his head as he walked past reporters and fans on his way to the locker room after the Chiefs lost their must-win game to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Dec. 14.
In a video shared on X, Kelce was seen walking slowly with his helmet in his hand after the game. At one point, Kelce lightly hit the wall in frustration as he accepted the Chiefs’ fate this season.
Kelce also declined to speak to reporters after the loss, telling them, “It’s not the time.”
“I’ll catch you guys during the week,” he promised, according to The Athletic’s Jesse Newell, who said the tight end declined speaking to the press twice on Sunday.
Sunday’s loss was crushing for Chiefs fans in more ways than one. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a devastating injury late in the game as the Chiefs were down just three points. Hours after the game, an MRI confirmed that Mahomes, 30, sustained a torn ACL in his left knee.
“Patrick and the club are currently exploring surgical options,” the team said.
I’m including one of the videos below – Travis looked dejected, and I’m not surprised that he was in no mood to chat with the press. If he’s got something to announce, wouldn’t he save it for his podcast? Plus, he probably wants to talk about his options with his coach and his family too. Speaking of, Taylor Swift attended Sunday’s game. She was seated in the VIP box with the Kelce family, and Swifties noted that Taylor was documenting the game via a video recorder herself, like she might have thought this was Trav’s last game. Like… every athlete wants to go out on top, but sometimes those athletes need this kind of reality check that it’s time to hang it up. We’ll see though. I’m sure Travis feels like he still has some good football left in him.
The Chiefs have officially been eliminated from the post season pic.twitter.com/gwFpNMrjcD
— McKenzie Nelson (@McKenzieMNelson) December 14, 2025
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
-
- 03.11.2023, xjhx, American Football NFL, American Football Herren, USA National League of Football, Kansas City Chiefs – Training und Pressekonferenz emspor, v.l. Travis Kelce Kansas City Chiefs Frankfurt am Main *** 03 11 2023, xjhx, American Football NFL National League of Football, Kansas City Chiefs training and press conference emspor, v l Travis Kelce Kansas City Chiefs Frankfurt am Main,Image: 819408817, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Jan Huebner / Avalon
-
- Tight End Travis Kelce TE 87, Kansas City Chiefs – Frankfurt 05.11.2023: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins, NFL, American Football Herren, USA International Game, Deutsche Bank Park *** Tight end Travis Kelce TE 87, Kansas City Chiefs Frankfurt 05 11 2023 Kansas City Chiefs vs Miami Dolphins, NFL International Game, Deutsche Bank Park,Image: 819928881, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Marc Schueler / Avalon
-
- Kansas City Chiefs media day during Super Bowl LIX, New Orleans, LA, USA – 03 Feb 2025 Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce87 talks to the media. New Orleans LA USA, UK NEWSPAPERS OUT Copyright: xx,Image: 960018208, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Avalon
-
- Kansas City Chiefs media day during Super Bowl LIX, New Orleans, LA, USA – 03 Feb 2025 Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce87 talks to the media. New Orleans LA USA, UK NEWSPAPERS OUT Copyright: xx,Image: 960018211, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Avalon
-
- Kansas City Chiefs media day during Super Bowl LIX, New Orleans, LA, USA – 03 Feb 2025 Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce87 talks to the media. New Orleans LA USA, UK NEWSPAPERS OUT Copyright: xx,Image: 960018214, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Avalon
-
- Kansas City Chiefs media day during Super Bowl LIX, New Orleans, LA, USA – 03 Feb 2025 Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce87 talks to the media. New Orleans LA USA, UK NEWSPAPERS OUT Copyright: xx,Image: 960018220, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Avalon
-
- Kansas City, MO – We are the CHAMPIONS!! Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes along with the team, owner Clark Hunt, head coach Andy Reid and the Lombardi Trophy arrived at the parade at 6th and Grand. It’s the fourth Super Bowl in Chiefs Super Bowl history and the third since Hunt took over ownership. Pictured: Travis Kelce BACKGRID USA 14 FEBRUARY 2024 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- Kansas City, MO – We are the CHAMPIONS!! Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes along with the team, owner Clark Hunt, head coach Andy Reid, and the Lombardi Trophy arrived at the parade at 6th and Grand. It’s the fourth Super Bowl in Chiefs Super Bowl history and the third since Hunt took over ownership. Pictured: Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Parade BACKGRID USA 14 FEBRUARY 2024 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
I have one thing and only one thing to say – Bear Down, Chicago Bears!!
Bear down! Also, as a Denver fan, FTC.
I mean it’s only been a few days. Realizing that your time is winding down for something you’ve been doing for most of your life, versus actively making the decision is going to take a while. Plus, Mahomes is likely out all of next season. Even if he thought they could redeem themselves and go out on top next year, I doubt he wants to wait 2 years and hope they all gel again in a way they didn’t this season.
I’m sure it’s disappointing but prolonging that abuse to your body isn’t great, and every ending won’t be the Disney movie triumph. He’s still a future Hall of Famer, he still has multiple super bowl rings, it’s not a bad end.
Lots of athletes lose games and don’t make it to the playoffs but they still do what they always do and that’s talk to the press right after the game but not crybaby Travis. Now if they would have won the game he would have been more than happy to talk and do his job but they lost and he wanted to have a pity party. At this point I don’t care what he does stays/goes whatever he will land on his feet.
I’m not a huge football fan – I am a college basketball fan – but I wonder if it’s in part because of his elevated fame NOT due to football but his relationship statues. If he wasn’t with Taylor Swift, I am not sure they would have been singling him out. But as I said, I’m not a big football fan so I don’t know.
That being said, if I had lost a game, and my good friend and teammate suffered a potential career ending injury, I would be going to check on my teammate and not give interviews.
But you make a good point that it is part of his job.
It is part of his job and players have been fined for avoiding the press after games (that’s where Marshawn Lynch’s infamous “I’m just here so I don’t get fined” came from.) Last week a clip went viral of Justin Herbert trying to get away from a reporter on the field bc he wanted to celebrate with his team.
if they had won he 100% would have done the press conference. He’s been dealing with the press for his entire career, this had nothing to do with being singled out for dating Taylor Swift. He’s a record setting TE on a team with two SB wins in recent years.
He was singled out because he is one of the highest performers on the team and has a close relationship to Mahomes. And there is the talk of retirement. So I don’t think the interest in him is particularly accentuated by Swift.
Even though the Chiefs are out of the playoffs, it doesn’t mean the season is over. There are still games to be played and I’m sure if he’s retiring, he’ll wait until the season is actually over.
Yeah, there’s no reason this would’ve been Kelce’s last game — the Chiefs play this weekend and then right after that on Christmas, + another game in January.
Not the point, I know, but I read this as the KC football team playing on Christmas+ … as if that were yet another subscription service like Disney+ and ESPN+ and so on.
Between the Chiefs embrace of MAGA and that crap they pulled on their player killing someone and demanding he be released, not sad about this at all. I hope Brittany eats crap forever.
No player killed anyone lol. You’re confusing Rashee Rice with someone else. Possible Jalen Carter (Eagles player).
Why do people lie about stuff that can easily be googled?
No Chiefs player killed someone, and nobody was asking for him to be released from prison.
I’m not defending Rashee Rice for speeding and fleeing the scene, or Chiefs players for calling for his suspension to be reduced.
But egregious lying and spreading of misinformation online has to be called out.
*Cackles in Philadelphia Eagles fan*
Thots and pears or whatever, Killa Trav.
It is deemed wise in the nfl to not announce anything after a heartbreaking loss, or even a euphoric win. (this applies to lots of life situations).
Free agency does not start until after the superbowl (when the teams hire new players according to their needs), followed by the draft of the new players entering the league.
So many players wait until near that time to announce if they are returning.
Because it is such a big decision.
I would expect him to at least wait a few weeks, maybe after the regular season, maybe before, if he wants people to understand they are seeing him for the last time as a player.
I’m sure that his brother advised him not to make that decision while emotions are still high. If Travis announces his retirement, it will probably be in a few months, not days or weeks.
he’s not going to announce anything until the season is officially over. Maybe he plays again next year, maybe not. By this point the Chiefs were still a long shot to make the playoffs so their elimination on Sunday wasn’t totally shocking for this year.
I’m excited for the AFC playoffs this year – even as Ravens fan whose team is also a long shot at this point – its fun to mix things up and have different teams at the top. And while the patriots aren’t new to the AFC playofffs, its a very different team than under Belichick/Brady so even that feels fresh and exciting. and the NFC is fun too.
They are out of the playoffs but the season is still going, it would be weird for him to announce his retirement now. And he can do it on his own time, like every other player.
As an Eagles fan I was happy to see the Chiefs eliminated!
Same, Lucy, though I feel some sympathy for the Kelces.
Go, Birds!
NFL players are contractually obligated to make themselves available to the press within 24 hours of the game and immediately afterward. You have to take the good with the bad if you’re gonna take that big fat paycheck. Travis has already refused to speak to the press at least twice this year after a loss and can be fined for not doing so. It just smacksof looking like a poor sport. He’s more than happy to blah blah blah after a big win but crickets when they lose.
He did the same last week and they didn’t fine him, because why would they fine a chiefs player or hold them accountable for their actions?
Haha. You’ve obviously never played sports. Travis is one of the most accessible players in the NFL, they’ll get their quotes.
He def won’t announce before the season ends. Mahomes should be back by early/mid-season depending on if it’s a complete knee job (acl,mcl,pcl etc) of just the acl tear. I wouldn’t be surprised if he waits to see Patrick’s condition next month.
Its his ACL and LCL. he’s already had surgery but they’re saying he’s out for 9 months at a minimum.
and I dont think its a shock to anyone on here that Kaiser never played professional football lmao.
I like Travis OK, but I’m not a fan of the Chiefs – they have had plenty of success. Go Bills!
I’m a wimp and just want Travis to not get hurt!
Their season is over, but they gotta play a few more games. I hope he and team can just go out and have fun these next few weeks.
Seems like they lost quite a few games by 3 points this year.
I do feel for athletes at the end of the careers. They’ve been doing it essentially their whole lives.