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Mahomes Sounds Off on Kelce’s Potential Retirement
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) raises the Lamar Hunt Trophy with tight end Travis Kelce (87) after the AFC championship NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 29, 2023, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs have seen Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce dominate for close to a decade now, as they have defined what has been an era of great success for the Chiefs Kingdom. Their recent Super Bowl loss not only sent the team crashing down to Earth but also threatened to break up this dynamic duo that has been together for so long.

Kelce is coming off his worst year as a starter, and he isn't getting any younger. His ability to sense soft spots in the defense is still there, but he lacks the zip and agility he once had to take advantage of it fully.

He was never a premier blocking tight end, which was fine as the Chiefs weren't asking him to do that very often. However, it's now a big detriment to the team whenever he is asked to block, as there were many plays last season where he gave minimal effort on the field, and it led to the defense tackling for a loss of yards or even a sack.

With how much success Kelce has seen outside of football, and with his play on the field deteriorating slowly but surely, it's no surprise that his name is circulating in retirement rumors. After all, if the Chiefs did win that Super Bowl and became the first team in NFL history to win three straight, he would've most likely ridden off into the sunset and retired.

Yet, that's not the case, and now Kelce has to prepare in the off-season for what will be his 12th year in the league. Mahomes was part of an interview after OTAs, and he was asked about his thoughts on Kelce retiring. He had a lot of praise to say about Kelce.

"If it's the last ride, you would never know. 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 doesn't seem like a guy that, it's his last ride or he's tired of the job.

He's in here, he's working. I know his body feels good. I think it feels better than even last year before going into last season. I think he's motivated to go out there and have an even better year".

Despite his dip in production last season, Kelce is still getting a lot of respect from analysts heading into next season. He'll have to remain focused and diligent on the field if the Chiefs want to continue to be dominant in the NFL.

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This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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