KANSAS CITY, MO. If Thursday night was Travis Kelce's last game at Arrowhead Stadium, he sure tried to make it memorable.
The Chiefs tight end had just five catches for 36 yards against Denver, playing alongside third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun while his good buddy Patrick Mahomes and backup Gardner Minshew were sidelined with knee injuries. But some of those catches came in the final minutes, nearly rallying Kansas City in what would have been a stunning upset for the Broncos.
Kelce and company lost 20-13 in a game in which they were underdogs by nearly two touchdowns.
But it was his bold display in a career filled with them.
The four-time All-Pro, who is expected to announce his retirement shortly after the season, could have hung up his cleats a couple of weeks ago when the defending AFC champions were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time in a decade.
Instead, after going to five Super Bowls, including the last three, and winning three championship rings, the 36-year-old Kelce showed he had too much pride to go into a losing season. He suffered a humiliating loss to lowly Tennessee last week and was one of the few bright spots on Thursday night for an offense that finished with 139 yards.
“There’s a lot of emotion,” Kelsey said later. “You have the whole world watching. You get to go out on prime time television with young guys. Young guys get a chance to experience what life is like in the NFL.”
“I will allow myself to make this decision with my family, friends and the Chiefs organization when the time comes,” Kelce said.
He was the last player introduced Thursday night, following Oladokun as he emerged from the corner tunnel at Arrowhead Stadium. As the red lights flashed across the field, Kelsey emerged from the fog with his signature bow-and-arrow entry gesture toward the celebratory crowd, who predictably roared with delight—perhaps for the last time—as No. 87 took the field.
“You only have a few of those (moments) where you stand there and appreciate 60, 70,000 Chiefs fans cheering for you,” Kelce said. “I always embrace this moment.”
In an upstairs suite, his fiancée, pop star Taylor Swift, watched him perform. So did Mahomes and Minshew, who took part in the suite game together; Mahomes tore a knee ligament two weeks ago, and Minshew did the same thing last week.
“You feel the generations of happiness and love that (the fans) have,” Kelsey said. “This is a beautiful thing, man. I know I will always appreciate it, whether it comes out of the tunnel or just brings them great benefit. That's why we love Arrowhead.”
Kelce played 97 games at the stadium over a 13-year career. There he caught 645 passes, including playoffs, the third-highest total by a player at a single stadium after Jerry Rice and Larry Fitzgerald since the AFL-NFL merger.
The question now is whether Kelce will play next week in the Chiefs' season finale in Las Vegas.
He needs just 10 receiving yards to reach 13,000 for his career, and he can extend his franchise record — and the longest active streak in the NFL — by catching a pass in his 191st game next weekend. He also could have walked away with a win instead of losing five straight and seven of their last eight games where the Chiefs are now.
Or maybe he'll surprise everyone and come back for another year.
“We've been through so much together,” Chiefs cornerback Chris Jones said, making his desire clear. “One more (season). Another”.
