Travis Kelce walked off the Arrowhead Stadium field Thursday night with a smile, even as the Chiefs fell 20-13 to the Broncos. It wasn’t the storybook ending anyone would’ve scripted, but Kelce still paused to soak in the love from a crowd that knew what the moment might mean. Whether it was truly his final walk-off on that turf remains unanswered, but he received the due respect and praise.
NFL World Tips the Hat to the Legend, Travis Kelce
60,000-plus Chiefs fans roared, with his mom, Donna, and fiancée, Taylor Swift, watching from the stands. “You only get a few of those where you just get to stand there and appreciate 60–70,000 Chiefs fans screaming for you,” Kelce said postgame. “I always embrace that moment.”
Kelce’s résumé hardly needs a sales pitch. Drafted in the third round in 2013, he became the heartbeat of the Chiefs’ dynasty, winning three Super Bowls and redefining the TE position along the way. The 11-time Pro Bowler has piled up nearly 13,000 receiving yards, 82 touchdowns, and 1,072 catches over 13 seasons.
Even Thursday night, in a lost season, he chipped in five catches for 36 yards.
Once the final whistle blew, the respect came flooding in. Adam Schefter posted a clip of Kelce walking off the field with the caption suggesting it might have been his last game at Arrowhead.
“Travis Kelce walks off the field in what might have been his final game in Kansas City.”
Fans immediately filled the replies, one writing, “Much respect to the GOAT TE. Enjoy marriage and Cancun!” A nod to both his legacy and the next chapter awaiting him.
League insiders echoed the sentiment. Ian Rapoport kept it simple and honest: “Who knows if this is it. But Travis Kelce can still ball.”
Neal Driscoll cut through everything else, saying, “All the bullsh*t behind us, Travis Kelce is one of one. A legend. If this is the end, what a career.”
Albert Breer framed what many were seeing on the field itself. “You can see every player’s respect for Travis Kelce out there,” he wrote. “If that’s it for him at Arrowhead, what an unbelievable 13-year run. Surefire Hall of Famer.”
Nick Wright followed with a heartfelt sendoff of his own, thanking Kelce for the memories and calling him a “true legend of the game.”
“IF that was @tkelce’s last game at Arrowhead, I can’t thank him enough for what he’s done and legend he’s been and done in that stadium. Salute to a true legend of the game. Merry Christmas everybody.”
The timing only adds weight to the moment. Kansas City has now dropped five straight games and will miss the playoffs for the first time since Kelce’s second NFL season.
At 36, with Patrick Mahomes rehabbing serious knee injuries and the roster in transition, the questions about Kelce’s future are louder than ever. Kelce, however, offered no definitive answers. He’s at the end of a two-year, $34.25 million deal and set to become a free agent, but retirement talk wasn’t on his agenda Thursday night.
“Honestly, I’ve been just focused on trying to win football games,” he said. “I’ll let that be a decision that I make with my family, friends, the Chiefs organization when the time comes.”
The Chiefs will close their season against the Raiders next weekend, and clarity likely won’t come until after that.