Travis Kelce isn’t going out on a low note.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end confirmed he will return for a 13th NFL season after he took time to consider his future following last month’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
“I love playing,” Kelce said on Tuesday’s episode of his “New Heights” podcast. “I still feel like I can play [football] at a high level and possibly at a higher level than I did last year. I don’t think it was my best outing.”
Kelce, the NFL’s all-time leader in playoff receptions, finished with four catches for 39 yards in the Chiefs’ 40-22 loss to Philly — a game in which Kansas City trailed 34-0 late in the third quarter.
The 35-year-old Kelce said losing the Super Bowl was “probably the biggest factor” in his decision to return.
“I think I let my guys down in a lot more moments than I helped them, especially if you look at my track record and how I’ve been in years past,” Kelce said. “I want to give it a good run. I’ve got a bad taste in my mouth on how I ended the year.”
Considered among the greatest tight ends in NFL history, Kelce is a three-time Super Bowl champion, a 10-time Pro Bowler and a favorite target of quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Kelce eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards seven years in a row from 2016-22, but his production dipped to 984 yards in 2023 and 823 last season.
He boasts tremendous off-the-field starpower, from his high-profile relationship with Taylor Swift to “New Heights,” which he co-hosts with brother Jason Kelce and was among the most-streamed podcasts in the U.S. last year.
Seemingly endless media opportunities await Kelce in retirement, but he is now set to return for the final season of the two-year, $34 million contract extension he signed 11 months ago.
“I can’t say whether or not this is going to be the last year because I still love a lot of what I do for the city of Kansas City and the Chiefs organization,” Kelce said. “I know I’ve got one on my contract, and I’m gonna give you guys everything I got.”