Chiefs’ Travis Kelce: ‘I Failed Last Year in a Lot of Different Ways for My Guys’

Henry McKenna

NFL Reporter

Travis Kelce made his 10th Pro Bowl and the Kansas City Chiefs made yet another Super Bowl appearance last season, yet he spent much of his recent podcast appearance on “Bussin With The Boys” discussing all the things he did wrong in 2024.

“I failed last year in a lot of different ways for my guys on the field, in terms of being a leader and just being prepared and ready to rock,” Kelce said. “And I’m motivated to f—ing be accountable.”

The Chiefs had a tumultuous season, which included 11 one-possession victories but a 40-22 blowout loss to the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. The Kansas City offense ranked 17th in total yards and 15th in points per game — far off the torrid pace from the beginning of the team’s dynasty. And Kelce’s numbers have similarly declined. His 823 receiving yards last season mark only his second time below 1,000 over the past nine years. In the Super Bowl, he had four catches on six targets for 39 yards.

Kelce’s frustrations with himself sounded layered.

“I don’t think I was the best leader during the Super Bowl itself in terms of making plays, being able to find a way no matter what the defense was playing. I’ve always put the accountability on myself to get open no matter what,” Kelce said. “I had a drop early. I had two or three routes where I didn’t get separation when I needed to, and [there were] certain moments where I could have sped it up knowing that Pat [Patrick Mahomes] was under duress for a lot of points in the game.”

He added: “And then just keeping the energy and the belief alive — I don’t know if I necessarily did that as well as I could have. And I think just leading up to it, making sure I got everybody’s mentality ready going into the game.”

Kelce’s reflections on the year included the 2023 offseason that he spent jet-setting around the world with girlfriend Taylor Swift. Kelce’s celebrity status had been building progressively, which was natural given he now has five Super Bowl appearances in six years. From talk show appearances to commercials to acting roles, Kelce has done his fair share of exploring non-football activities. And the 2023 offseason was his busiest, not surprising for someone dating one of the biggest celebrities in the world.

“The biggest thing is, you just kind of refocus on where your attention is in the offseason,” Kelce said on the “Bussin With The Boys” podcast this month. “I think last year that — really the past three years — I’ve had a lot of attention in taking a step away from football to figure out what I’m doing afterwards, and make sure I set that up, and I’m setting myself up for the future. I’ve kind of always had that mentality in the offseason, but I took on bigger projects this year.

“I don’t want to leave anything out there. I want to give it my all and make sure that I do this for the childhood dream in me — the kid in me that’s like, ‘Man, I want to make this s— the best thing ever.’”

The Chiefs will not be out of Super Bowl contention in 2025. Their coaching staff hasn’t changed. Their defense is similar to last year’s unit — though not the same without safety Justin Reid or DT Tershawn Wharton. And the offense, if everyone is healthy this season, should improve. Receiver Rashee Rice is coming back from a knee injury, Xavier Worthy is entering his second year, and Hollywood Brown is entering his second year in the Chiefs’ system.

One major reason Kelce is returning for a 13th season is that he didn’t want the Super Bowl loss to be his last game. (Tammy Ljungblad/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

As for Kelce, who’s entering his age-36 season, he is willing to admit that he’s not an ascending player anymore.

“As I’m getting older, I can’t necessarily do a lot of the things that I’ve been able to do when I was a younger player,” he said. “So it’s creating even more frustration for me, in certain times.”

His production has declined over the past three seasons. It seems Kelce is trying to fend off continued decline, in part with a focus on technique. He has lost weight — though he wouldn’t specify how much.

Even with these adjustments, his age is catching up with him. And his contract expires in the coming offseason. There were rumblings that Kelce might retire after Super Bowl LIX. And there will be more rumblings that this year will be his last.

“I think I just had a sour taste in my mouth immediately [after the Super Bowl], and like, ‘Man, this can’t be the last game,'” he said.

So Kelce is back — and with a sense of urgency and self-evaluation that perhaps he didn’t have last year.

Before joining FOX Sports as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!