Travis Kelce Preparing And Talking Like Guy Who Wants To Go Out On Top

Every sign points to this being Travis Kelce's final season in the NFL, but we don't know for sure because Taylor Swift's boyfriend hasn't said that and his quarterback Patrick Mahomes would have everyone believe it hasn't looked that way this offseason.

Travis Kelce Motivated To Improve

"If it’s the last ride you would never know," Mahomes told reporters on Thursday. "The way he’s talking about football, the way he’s talking about working and trying to be even better this year than he was last year. He’s not – he doesn’t seem like a guy that it’s his last ride, like he’s tired of the job. 

"He’s in there, he’s working, and I know his body feels good. I think it feels better than even last year before going into the last season. Just because I think he’s motivated to go out there and have an even better year than he had this last (year)."

We can read this one of two ways:

Maybe Kelce is rejuvenated and is preparing and acting like he's fully intending on making the 2025 season great so he can continue to be one of the NFL's premier tight ends into the future.

Or maybe Kelce just wants to go out on top.

Kelce Was Disappointing In 2024

I choose B. 

He's trying to go out on a better note than he did last year because last year was something of a disappointment.

Consider:

Last season was one of the worst in Kelce's career despite his 97 catches and 823 receiving yards.  That's because the three touchdowns he scored were the fewest since his rookie year and the fewest of the 11 seasons he played more than one game.

The three TDs also represented the second consecutive season Kelce's scoring production decreased. It was also the second consecutive year Kelce's yard production, receptions per game, first downs and yards per reception decreased. 

So Kelce's stats suggest he's declining.

Swift Proposal Could Be Part Of NFL End 

At the end of the season, Kelce looked every bit of his 35 years old. And in the Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Kelce is seen on tape simply taking some plays off.

Everyone saw this and Kelce probably doesn't want what he put on tape in 2024 to be the memory he leaves on what has otherwise been a stellar career.

So, he's definitely back for one more year. But again, even that return looks like an ending.

Kelce is in the final year of his contract and there has been no talk of an extension.

There has been talk, however, of Kelce proposing to Swift. (You had to know that was going to be part of the story). 

There have been signs, in other words, of Kelce moving on with his life after this season – regardless of how he's acting and what he's saying before his "last ride."