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Chiefs GM Brett Veach confirmed that the team knew tight end Travis Kelce would return shortly after their final game. Initial retirement rumors were dispelled when Kelce expressed his intention to continue playing.
Chiefs Knew Kelce Would Be Back Again Right After KCās Final Game, According To GM
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce spent the initial part of the offseason as a man of mystery when it comes to whether he knew if heād be retiring, but Chiefs GM Brett Veach said the team was never in doubt about this. The ānewsā about this surfaced via a piece by Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk that referenced Veachās recent appearance on the The Pat McAfee Show.
Initial reports had Kelce considering retirement, which wasnāt surprising given the Chiefsā disappointing season that included a severe knee injury to quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Once Kelce didnāt make any announcement about retiring, though, it wasnāt all that hard to figure out what was going on.
āWe played our last game of the season in Vegas last year, and when we got back we have player meetings and exit interviews,ā Veach said. āIt was a cool deal where Trav came in and he basically said āIām going to take a few weeks off here, but Iām not going out like this, letās stay in touch and letās figure something out. . . . We certainly knew ahead of time.ā
There were early rumors about Kansas City considering possible Kelce replacements via free agency, but those quickly fizzled. The Chiefs were happy to let the speculation continue, which is hardly uncommon in situations like these, as NFL teams consider news about the status of star players to be the football equivalent of military secrets.
āWhile free agency and there was still some questions in the air on whether or not heād return, we knew basically the day after our last game,ā Veach added. āHe made it known to coach Reid and to me that there was no way he was going out like this.ā
Veach didnāt speculate about this season being Kelceās ālast dance,ā as the GM put it, but he added that Kelce āthought about being thereā as quarterback Patrick Mahomes continues to rehab from his torn ACL.
Brett Veach stated that the Chiefs were confident Travis Kelce would return right after their last game, despite initial retirement rumors.
Rumors about Kelce's retirement emerged due to the Chiefs' disappointing season and his knee injury, but he later indicated he wanted to continue playing.
Travis Kelce communicated his intention to return during player meetings and exit interviews shortly after the Chiefs' final game.
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The loyalty between Mahomes and Kelce is well-established, and it appears to be based on more than just the on-field connection the two players have that elevated Kelce from All-Pro tight end to genuine NFL superstar.
Itās not hard to guess whatās going to happen from here. As laudable as Kelceās loyalty is, itās also based on ongoing success, and the tight end will try to stick around for as long as possible if Mahomes returns to form. Kelce is 36, however, so the clock is definitely ticking on his connection with Mahomes.