KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — If Thursday night time was the final sport Travis Kelce performed inside Arrowhead Stadium, he positive tried to make it a memorable one.
The Chiefs tight finish solely had 5 catches for 36 yards towards Denver, taking part in alongside third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun whereas his good buddy Patrick Mahomes and backup Gardner Minshew have been out with knee accidents. However a number of of these catches got here within the closing minutes, almost rallying Kansas Metropolis in what would have been a shocking upset of the Broncos.
Kelce and Co. wound up losing 20-13 in a sport through which they have been almost two-touchdown underdogs.
Nevertheless it was a gutsy show by him in a profession full of them.
The four-time All-Professional, who is predicted to announce quickly after the season whether or not he’s retiring, may have hung up the cleats a few weeks in the past, when the reigning AFC champions have been eradicated from playoff rivalry for the primary time in a decade.
As a substitute, after going to 5 Tremendous Bowls — together with the final three — and successful three championship rings, the 36-year-old Kelce confirmed that he had an excessive amount of satisfaction to stop on a misplaced season. He performed in a humiliating loss to lowly Tennessee final week, and he was one of many few vivid spots Thursday night time for an offense that completed with 139 yards in all.
“A complete lot of feelings,” Kelce stated afterward. “You’ve received everyone on the earth watching you. You get to go on the market with the younger guys on primetime tv. Younger guys getting a chance to style what this NFL life is like.”
“I’ll let that be a choice I’ll make with my household, associates, the Chiefs group when the time comes,” Kelce stated.
He was the ultimate participant launched Thursday night time, following Oladokun out of the tunnel within the nook of Arrowhead Stadium. As pink lights flashed throughout the sphere, Kelce emerged from the fog together with his signature bow-and-arrow entrance gesture towards a festive vacation crowd, and it predictably roared in delight — maybe for the final time — as No. 87 took the sphere.
“You solely get a number of of these (moments) the place you get to face there and respect 60, 70-thousand Chiefs followers cheering for you,” Kelce stated. “I at all times embrace that second.”
Jamie Squire by way of Getty Photographs
In a set excessive above, his fiancee, pop star Taylor Swift, watched him carry out. So did Mahomes and Minshew, who took within the sport collectively from a set; Mahomes tore ligaments in his knee two weeks in the past, Minshew did the identical final week.
“You are feeling the generations of happiness and the love that (the followers) have,” Kelce stated. “It’s a ravishing factor, man. It’s one thing I do know I’ll cherish without end, whether or not it’s popping out of the tunnel or simply making an enormous play for them. That’s why we love Arrowhead.”
Kelce has performed 97 video games contained in the stadium over the course of a 13-year profession. He caught 645 passes there, together with playoffs, the third-most by any participant inside a single stadium behind Jerry Rice and Larry Fitzgerald for the reason that AFL-NFL merger.
Now, the query is whether or not Kelce will play subsequent week within the Chiefs’ season finale in Las Vegas.
He wants simply 10 yards receiving to succeed in 13,000 for his profession, and he may prolong his franchise file — and the longest lively streak within the NFL — by catching a go in his 191st sport subsequent weekend. He may additionally exit with a win, relatively than having misplaced 5 straight and 7 of his final eight video games, which is the slide the Chiefs discover themselves on now.
Or, possibly he’ll shock everybody and are available again for another 12 months.
“We’ve been by way of a lot collectively,” Chiefs defensive deal with Chris Jones stated, making his want clear. “Only one extra (season). Only one extra.”
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