It's been a decade since the Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention during the regular season, but that won't change Travis Kelce's intentions of ending 2025 on a high note.
Kansas City's star tight end told reporters after Friday's practice that he will giving "everything I got" for the final three games of the season.
"It's just integrity, man," Kelce said. "I signed up to be a Chief, and I love doing what I do. I know I've been dreaming of being in these moments and playing for an NFL team since I was a kid. Getting back to that will give you more motivation than you could ever need. That's just how you need to go about work, whether you're in the [playoff] race or not.
"I'm going to make sure these guys know I'm out there giving them everything I got."
There's a possibility this final stretch will be Kelce's last three games as a Chief or in the NFL. Approaching the end of a two-year deal he signed in 2024, the 36-year-old told reporters on Nov. 21 that he plans to decide on retirement following the 2025 season, an effort to give Kansas City ample time to adjust before free agency.
Kelce wasn't hinting on if these last three games will in fact be the conclusion of a stellar 13-season career, all of which played in Kansas City.
"I think I'd rather just keep the focus on this team, right now," Kelce said. "All the conversations that I have with the team moving forward will be with them. It's a unique time in my life. I've got three games left. Unfortunately, I've got three games left and I know when the season ends. Just trying to make sure everybody here knows that I'm focused on trying to win games [in] these last three games."
The Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention in last Sunday's loss to the Chargers, ending a streak of 10 straight playoff berths -- the second-longest postseason run in NFL history. It also ended a streak of seven straight AFC Championship Game appearances, including three straight conference titles, which was also the second-longest streak streak in league history. The Chiefs won three Super Bowls and appeared in two more during that illustrious span.
Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL and LCL in the final moments of last Sunday's loss, bringing Kansas City's fate from crushing to heart-breaking.
"'That's my brother. I know everything he's going through," Kelce said of Mahomes. "It's just disappointing, and then, on top of that, it's just an absolute dagger into the back, knowing how the season ended for [Mahomes] on our last hope going into the last drive of [Sunday's] game. It looked like we were going to have a chance to maybe come out with the win and keep our [playoff] hopes alive. It just kept going downhill from there.
"It sucks, man, but that's the reality of it. We've got three games left to try to enjoy it with the guys in this building. On top of that, Chiefs kingdom deserves us to go out there and play our hearts out for them."
There's still some history to made in these final three games of the season for Kelce, who leads the team with 67 receptions for 797 yards and five touchdowns (tied).
He needs just three receiving yards to join Hall of Famer Jerry Rice as the only players in NFL history with at least 800 receiving yards in 12 consecutive seasons. Kelce is also 203 yards away from becoming the oldest TE in NFL history to eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark in a season.
Kelce sits third all-time among tight ends in receiving yards (12,948) and receptions (1,071) and sits fifth in TDs (85).
Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew will look to join Kelce in ending 2025 on a brighter note, which might very well be the send off for one the greatest tight ends in NFL history.
