Travis Kelce has teased his retirement. Could the Chiefs’ Super Bowl humbling bring it forward?

In November 2023, Travis Kelce made an omission to the Wall Street Journal: he thinks about retirement “more than anyone could ever imagine”.

After succumbing to multiple injuries and having 10 surgeries in his 12-year career, the pain, he said, was becoming too much to bear.

Football fans continued to speculate over Kelce’s future after the 35-year-old tight end fuelled retirement rumors last month, admitting to sports journalist Stephen A Smith that his opinion on the matter “changes every single day”.

With the Kansas City Chiefs reaching their fifth Super Bowl final in six years sports fans, had speculated that after cementing his place in the history books Kelce may have decided to bow out in a blaze of glory.

But the football star’s hopes of being a part of the first NFL team in history to three-peat as champions were dashed, as the Chiefs were thrashed 40-22 by the Philadelphia Eagles at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday.

If it was the final game of Kelce’s career, it wasn’t a pretty one.

In the first half, Kelce didn’t catch a pass on two targets while Patrick Mahomes, his close friend and the Chiefs’ quarterback, had a passer rating of just 10.7 – on track to be the fourth-worst by a starting quarterback in Super Bowl history.

Although it marked the fewest yards (39) in any of his Super Bowl appearances, Kelce did surpass Hall of Famer Jerry Rice for the most catches in Super Bowl history (35) in the losing effort.

“We haven’t played that bad all year,” Kelce told reporters at his locker. “Turnovers, penalties, playing behind the sticks on offense. Dropped passes, not taking advantage of the play calls and executing.”

It was also a tough night for Kelce’s Pennslyvania-born girlfriend Taylor Swift who, before kick-off, faced boos by Eagles fans upon being illuminated on the big screen, while President Donald Trump received raucous applause.

Kelce is coming off the back of career lows since his 2013 rookie season of 823 receiving yards and three touchdown catches during the regular season.

After the game, Kelce walked down to the luxury 400-level suites where Swift and his family cheered him on during the game.

The 10-time Pro Bowler elected not to address his retirement, nor make an appearance in the post-game interview room.

Instead, his teammate, Patrick Mahomes, said that Kelce would “spend some time with his family and make that decision on his own.”

“He’s given so much to this team and to the NFL,” the three-time Super Bowl MVP told reporters. “He has a lot of football left in him. You can see it. He always makes plays in the biggest moments, but it’s if he wants to put in that grind.

If Kelce does decide to hang up his cleats, Mahomes said he will be welcomed back with “open arms”.

“He knows he’ll come back here with open arms. We love that guy not only for the football player but for who he is every single day.”

On Super Bowl LIX Opening Night last Monday, Kelce gave another cryptic clue into where his future lies.

“Hopefully still playing football. I love doing this. I love coming into work every day. I feel like I still got a lot of good football left in me,” he told reporters during Super Bowl LIX Opening night last Monday.

Moments later, Kelce added: “We’ll see what happens. I know I’ve been setting myself up for other opportunities in my life. That’s always been the goal, knowing that football only lasts for so long.”

Kelce is expected to confirm his future by the start of the NFL’s free agency on March 12.