‘Bad taste in my mouth’ – Pat McAfee reveals Travis Kelce’s decision on NFL future amid retirement rumors
Travis Kelce has spoken.
After suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, speculation has been rife the Kansas City Chiefs legend could walk away from the sport.
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However, the 35-year-old has seemingly put those rumors to bed by telling Pat McAfee he plans to return for the 2025 NFL season.
On Thursday's The Pat McAfee Show, the eponymous host read a series of text messages he recently shared with the iconic TE.
"Hey, are we playing next year," McAfee allegedly text Kelce.
"My dog!!! I'm coming back for sure… I'm gonna get in the best shape of my life this offseason…" Kelce replied, according to McAfee.
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"Got a real bad taste in my mouth with how I played in that last game and how I got the guys ready for battle.
"I can't go out like that!!!!"
That was the end of the text exchange, with McAfee adding: "I think you can say Travis Kelce is coming back to play football yet again."
Part of the reason around the uncertainty around Kelce's future has been his interest in the entertainment world.
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The three-time Super Bowl winner is dating pop megastar Taylor Swift and is one half of an award-winning, record-breaking podcast with brother Jason.
He's also done various TV work and is set to produce his own movie.
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However, until now the man himself has remained tight-lipped about what he intends to do, keeping his cards close to his chest about his retirement plans.
“I know everybody wants to know whether or not I‘m playing next year," Kelce said on an episode of his 'New Heights' podcast after the Super Bowl.
"Right now I am just kicking everything down the road. I am kicking every can I can down the road.
"I’m not making any crazy decisions, but right now, the biggest thing is just being there for my teammates and being there for my coaches, understanding that there’s a lot that goes into this thing.
"As you see yourself or not feel yourself have the success that you once used to have, it’s a tough pill to swallow.
"And then on top of that, to not be there in the biggest moments, knowing your team’s counting on you. It’s just a tough reality.
"I think I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back, that it’s gonna be something that it’s a wholehearted decision. I’m not half-a***ing it… I think I could play; it’s just whether or not I’m motivated or it’s the best decision for me as a man, as a human, as a person, to take on all that responsibility."
On Friday, brother Jason appeared on The Steam Room podcast with Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson.
During the discussion, he addressed his brother's thought process and suggested that Travis already knows what his future holds.
"'I think he probably, in his heart, already knows what he wants to do," Jason revealed.
"That's the reality of it.
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"I'm sure we will talk about it. We've already talked about it a little bit, and I'm sure he's going to go through a process of figuring that out.
"We're very similar people, but we also have different ways of thinking about things. Sometimes I can way overanalyze situations, and my brother has this way of being like, 'Hey man, you want to play or you don't want to play.'
"He'll say something like that where it's just like, 'Don't worry about all of these minor things.' And nine times out of ten, he's right about all of it."
Travis has been with the Chiefs since 2013, and has achieved almost everything there is to do on a football field.
Alongside his three Super Bowl rings, the 35-year-old also boasts a string of NFL and franchise records, including the most receiving yards and touchdown receptions for Kansas City.
But the Chiefs were denied a historic three-peat by Jason's former team in Super Bowl LIX.
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However, that crushing defeat seems to have lit a fire under Kelce, who is seemingly hellbent on returning next year and making amends.
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