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Patrick Mahomes weighs in on Travis Kelce's future following Super Bowl loss: 'He knows he still has a lot of football left'

Chandler Vesselsby:Chandler Vessels•about 23 hours•

ChandlerVessels

patrick mahomes travis kelce
David Butler II-Imagn Images

With the Kansas City Chiefs losing in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, talk has already turned to the future of tight end Travis Kelce. He just wrapped up his 12th NFL season, all of which have come with the Chiefs, and turned 35 in October.

Kelce is signed with the team through next season, but could of course make the choice to retire if he wants to. Reporters asked quarterback Patrick Mahomes whether he had any indication which way his teammate is leading.

“I’ll let Travis make that decision on his own, man,” Mahomes said. “He’s given so much to this team and to the NFL and been such a joy, not only for me to work with but for people to watch. He knows he still has a lot of football left in him. You can see it. … He’s done enough to be a gold jacket guy and a first-ballot Hall of Famer. … He’ll get to spend some time with his family and make that decision on his own.”

Throughout his career to this point, Kelce has won three Super Bowls, been named an All-Pro four times and made 10 Pro Bowl appearances. He still put up solid numbers this past season to finish with 97 catches for 823 yards and three touchdowns.

However, both that yardage and touchdown total were the lowest of his career (excluding his rookie season when he played only one game). That says a lot about how good of a player he has been for so long, and his current level of production is certainly one all NFL teams would take.

It all depends on whether Travis Kelce feels like he has simply accomplished all he desires to at this point in his career.

During Super Bowl LIX Opening Night on Feb. 3, Kelce was asked where he’ll be in three years and said, “Hopefully still playing football. I love doing this. I love coming into work every day. I feel like I still got a lot of good football left in me.”

In the next breath, the 35-year-old noted, “We’ll see what happens. I know I’ve been setting myself up for other opportunities in my life. That’s always been the goal, knowing that football only lasts for so long.”