To say that the season has been tough on Travis Kelce would be a massive understatement. He knew this might be his final campaign, and while he initially talked about enjoying the ride, that clearly hasn't been the case.
Kelce's numbers haven't been bad, even by his standards. However, he's been on the wrong end of multiple unfortunate plays. It started with the collision with Xavier Worthy during Week 1, which knocked the speedy WR out of the lineup and has continued from there. Drops and tipped-ball interceptions have cost the Kansas City Chiefs at the worst possible time this season.
That was the case again in the tough loss to the Houston Texans. With the game on the line, the future Hall of Famer couldn't make the necessary adjustment, and it ended in Patrick Mahomes' third pick of the game. That's why, talking to his brother Jason on their "New Heights" podcast, an emotional Travis made it sound like he's close to reaching his breaking point.
Travis Kelce Might Not Come Back Next Season
"It’s been a tough f------ go-around for the last two days,” Kelce said. “You put in all this f------ work and hope that it pays off and right now, for whatever f------ reason, man, it’s little things, I don’t know, discipline. I feel like I’ve always had the answers in years past and this year I just can’t find them.”
As one of the greatest tight ends of all time, Kelce holds himself to a different type of standard. It was a team effort, and they all failed to execute, but the final blunder was on him, and he's having a tough time getting over that:
"Looking at the the playoffs, this is a tough reality to be in, especially with I don't know ... just how we've always found a way in years past," Kelce continued. "So it's a it's a s----- f------ feeling, especially dropping the f------ ball late in the game like that when we were on our last f------ chance to make something shake. It's a s----- feeling, man."
Through 13 games, Kelce is up to 60 receptions on 83 targets for 727 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Those numbers are fairly decent, especially given that he's no longer the team's primary pass catcher.
His Pro Football Focus grade of 73.6 ranks 13th among tight ends, and he's stayed healthy and has looked more than capable of playing at a high level for at least another year. Even so, the emotional toll this season and last season's Super Bowl loss has taken on him might be enough for him to walk away from the game.
He's already built a successful brand off the field; he might even be able to make more money after retirement. Also, he's broken all kinds of marks, has won multiple Super Bowls, and it will be a long time before another tight end reaches his level of postseason dominance -- if ever. He doesn't have anything left to prove at this point in his career, and while he would've obviously rather go out with a bang, this team still has a chance to close out the season on a high note and with a trip to the playoffs.
Kelce revealed that he would inform the team of his decision early in the offseason so Kansas City has enough time to plan accordingly. Hopefully, the Chiefs won't have to add "tight end" to their already long list of offseason needs.