Given how last season went, some believe there’s mounting pressure on Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce to return to his Pro Bowl form.
Kelce led the Chiefs if every statistical receiving category except for touchdowns, and though he logged 97 receptions, his 823 yards and three touchdown receptions were the lowest of his 12-year career.
In Kansas City’s 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, Kelce had one of his worst games of the season, finishing with just four catches for 39 yards — a performance he said left a bad taste in his mouth and led to his decision to come back for another season.
And while there will likely be less pressure on Kelce to carry the passing game with No. 1 and 2 wide receivers Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown healthy, 2024 first-round pick Xavier Worthy with a year under his belt, and the addition of fourth-round rookie Jalen Royals, there’s still pressure on Kelce to earn his $17.25 million salary.
Kelce has spent a great deal of the offseason training to get in “the best shape of his career,” dropping a reported 25 pounds.
Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Dan MacMedan-USA TODAY; Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
A lighter and presumably more agile Kelce is good news for Andy Reid’s offensive game plan, and ESPN’s Hannah Storm believes Kelce has some extra motivation for next season.
“Can I just say, he's got to keep up with his girlfriend, who can do a three-and-a-half-hour concert without skipping a beat,” Storm said during a recent episode of “SportsCenter.” “And she does it back-to-back nights.”
While most believe 2025 will be Kelce’s final season regardless of if the Chiefs win another Super Bowl or not, others—including his quarterback Patrick Mahomes—seem convinced that Kelce will be around for more than just one year.
“If it's the last ride, you would never know the way he's talking about football, the way he's talking about working, and trying to be even better this year than he was last year,” Mahomes recently said.
“He doesn't seem like a guy that — it's his last ride or he's tired of the job. He's in here, he's working. I know his body feels good. I think it feels better than even last year before going into last season.”