Travis Kelce Had Bittersweet Message on Leaving Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs

Kristen Wong | 1 Hour Ago

Travis Kelce opened up to Tony Gonzalez about his future with the Chiefs in an exclusive interview aired on Prime Video. / Screengrab on YouTube/ @SportsonPrime

Travis Kelce may play his last snap at Arrowhead in Thursday's Christmas Day matchup against the Broncos, and if this is truly the end of the road for the 36-year-old tight end, what a journey it's been.

Kelce is planning to suit up for the Chiefs' final two games of the 2025 season despite Kansas City being eliminated from playoff contention with a 6-9 record. Prior to Thursday's game, he opened up about his NFL future in an exclusive interview with franchise legend Tony Gonzalez.

Kelce was asked whether this game will be his last at Arrowhead, and he said he's still "searching for answers" when it comes to making his retirement decision. He added that it was a "two-way street" between him and the Chiefs, as it would have to be both the right choice for himself and the organization if he were to run it back for one more year. Unsurprisingly, Kelce noted that he was going to lean on his brother, Jason, for advice when weighing his NFL future.

The interview then took a turn for the somber when Gonzalez asked Kelce about his years-long relationship with Patrick Mahomes and potentially parting ways with him after this season.

"He's family now. I think through all the hard work and all the family time that we've had outside the facility and outside the building, there'll definitely never be a goodbye to him," Kelce said. "It'll just be like another day in the life with Patty Mahomes.

"What he's been to my career up to this point, you can't measure it. It's all the little things that you see manifest out there onto the field that we're working on every single week, every single offseason. ... When he came into the league, he took this thing by storm. And it's been a fun ride ever since he's been at the helm."

Last week, Kelce fielded a question from a reporter at a Chiefs press conference on whether he had caught his last pass from Mahomes in his career. He admitted that was a tough "reality" to face:

"That was a harsh reality when I got asked that," Kelce told Gonzalez. "I was like, 'Oh man, that's a dark way to look at it.' I think, I don't know, I'll always be able to go out there in the backyard slinging around with the old Texas gunslinger. But you know that day is going to come. If it's already happened, I can feel pretty content with how many times he's connected on the field with me and how much success and how much fun we've had playing this game."

Kelce and Mahomes have combined for over 70 touchdowns (counting the playoffs) and set a plethora of league records to rival any duo in NFL history. They currently lead all duos with 18 touchdown connections in their postseason careers.

While Mahomes uses the offseason to rest and recover from his ACL tear, Kelce will be thinking about what his future looks like and if he's truly ready to hang it up after yet another disappointing campaign.

"I know when it's over, it's over," continued Kelce. "I feel like I still have a lot of love for this game, I feel like if I came back it'd just be to answer that flame in my heart that I still love this thing."

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