Kansas City, Missouri
AP
—
If Thursday night was the last recreation Travis Kelce performed inside Arrowhead Stadium, he certain tried to make it a memorable one.
The Chiefs tight finish solely had 5 catches for 36 yards towards Denver, taking part in alongside third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun whereas his good buddy Patrick Mahomes and backup Gardner Minshew had been out with knee accidents. But a number of of these catches got here within the closing minutes, almost rallying Kansas City in what would have been a surprising upset of the Broncos.
Kelce and Co. wound up dropping 20-13 in a recreation wherein they had been almost two-touchdown underdogs.
But it was a gutsy show by him in a profession crammed with them.
The four-time All-Pro, who is anticipated to announce quickly after the season whether or not he’s retiring, may have hung up the cleats a few weeks in the past, when the reigning AFC champions had been eradicated from playoff rivalry for the primary time in a decade.
Instead, after going to 5 Super Bowls — together with the last three — and successful three championship rings, the 36-year-old Kelce confirmed that he had an excessive amount of pleasure to stop on a misplaced season. He performed in a humiliating loss to lowly Tennessee last week, and he was one of many few vibrant spots Thursday night for an offense that completed with 139 yards in all.
“A whole lot of emotions,” Kelce stated afterward. “You’ve got everybody in the world watching you. You get to go out there with the young guys on primetime television. Young guys getting an opportunity to taste what this NFL life is like.”
As for retirement?
“I’ll let that be a decision I’ll make with my family, friends, the Chiefs organization when the time comes,” Kelce stated.
He was the ultimate participant launched Thursday night, following Oladokun out of the tunnel within the nook of Arrowhead Stadium. As pink lights flashed throughout the sphere, Kelce emerged from the fog with his signature bow-and-arrow entrance gesture towards a festive vacation crowd, and it predictably roared in delight — maybe for the last time — as No. 87 took the sphere.
“You only get a few of those (moments) where you get to stand there and appreciate 60, 70-thousand Chiefs fans cheering for you,” Kelce stated. “I always embrace that moment.”
In a collection excessive above, his fiancee, pop star Taylor Swift, watched him carry out. So did Mahomes and Minshew, who took within the recreation collectively from a collection; Mahomes tore ligaments in his knee two weeks in the past, Minshew did the identical last week.
“You feel the generations of happiness and the love that (the fans) have,” Kelce stated. “It’s a beautiful thing, man. It’s something I know I’ll cherish forever, whether it’s coming out of the tunnel or just making a big play for them. That’s why we love Arrowhead.”
Kelce has performed 97 video games contained in the stadium over the course of a 13-year profession. He caught 645 passes there, together with playoffs, the third-most by any participant inside a single stadium behind Jerry Rice and Larry Fitzgerald because the AFL-NFL merger.
Now, the query is whether or not Kelce will play subsequent week within the Chiefs’ season finale in Las Vegas.
He wants simply 10 yards receiving to succeed in 13,000 for his profession, and he may lengthen his franchise report — and the longest lively streak within the NFL — by catching a cross in his 191st recreation subsequent weekend. He may additionally exit with a win, somewhat than having misplaced 5 straight and 7 of his last eight video games, which is the slide the Chiefs discover themselves on now.
Or, perhaps he’ll shock everybody and are available again for yet another yr.
“We’ve been through so much together,” Chiefs defensive deal with Chris Jones stated, making his need clear. “Just one more (season). Just one more.”