Kelce uncertain on future, sorry for SB loss: 'I put a lot of that on myself'
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce took responsibility for Kansas City's disappointing performance in the team's blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
The Chiefs were trying to become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls but had one of their worst performances of the Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid era in the 40-22 defeat.
"It just wasn't our day," Kelce said on the latest episode of "New Heights." "Couldn't find a lick of momentum. I'm kicking myself (for) some of the tiny, tiny decisions I made on the field. I wasn't the best leader that I could be in motivating my guys and keeping my guys calm, cool, collected. I put a lot of that on myself as the guy that's been in the building for 12 years and seen a lot of football and actually seen a situation just like this in the Super Bowl.
"It's a tough pill to swallow. It's a hard reality, man. I love my teammates, I love my coaches. Chiefs Kingdom, I'm sorry for how it ended."
The Eagles dominated the Chiefs on both sides of the ball, opening a 34-0 lead before K.C. even crossed midfield. Kansas City did score three touchdowns in the game, but two of them came in garbage time.
Kelce finished the night with four catches for 39 yards.
"I wish things would've went different," the veteran tight end said. "I wish I would've made better decisions early on and helped my guy Pat out and helped my team find that momentum or that confidence, but I just have to tip my hat to the Eagles."
It was Kansas City's second Super Bowl defeat with Mahomes at quarterback; the Chiefs also lost 31-9 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021.
Kelce's future has been a hot topic, as the 35-year-old has yet to decide if he'll return for his 13th NFL season.
"I'm gonna take some time to figure it out," Kelce explained, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "I think I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back, that it's gonna be a wholehearted decision and I'm not half-assing it, and I'm fully here for them.
"I think I can 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."
Kelce - a third-round pick in 2013 - has played his entire career with the Chiefs, earning 10 Pro Bowl nods and establishing himself as one of football's most accomplished tight ends.