For a portion of the offseason, Travis Kelce's playing future was in question.
Would the Kansas City Chiefs tight end begin his countdown to Canton and retire or was he headed back for Year 13?
He chose the latter, but according to his quarterback, Kelce doesn't look like player heading into the sunset of his career.
"If it's the last ride, you would never know," Patrick Mahomes told reporters Thursday at organized team activities. "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. He doesn't seem like a guy like it's his last ride, like he's tired of the job."
Mahomes' assessment falls right in line with Kelce's explanation of why he decided to return to play in 2025.
"I think the biggest thing is that I f------ love playing the game of football," Kelce said in March. "I love playing. I still feel like I can play it at a high level and possibly at a higher level than I did last year. I don't think it was my best outing."
In the grand scheme of the gridiron, Kelce has zero to prove. His resume boasts three Super Bowl wins, four All-Pro selections and 10 Pro Bowl nods with his 1,004 receptions (third all time among TEs), 12,151 receiving yards (third) and 77 touchdown catches (fifth) all among the best ever at his position.
However, it's clear he's seeking what most of the greats do: going out on the right note.
Kelce had 97 catches for 823 yards and three TDs in 2024. Those numbers are pretty solid if you're most TEs, but the yards and scores were career lows outside of his one-game rookie campaign. And then there was the Chiefs' bid for a Super Bowl three-peat getting dashed by a dominant Philadelphia Eagles triumph.
So, it would seem the 35-year-old Kelce is a motivated veteran at OTAs.
"He's in here," Mahomes said. "He's working. I know his body feels good. I think he feels better than even last year before going into last season. I think he's motivated to go out there and have an even better year than he had this last."
