Kelce Vows Accountability in Potential Final NFL Season
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- Travis Kelce, 36, said he believes he can "play at a high level" in what could be his final NFL season, emphasizing accountability to teammates and improvement on last year.
- Kelce returned to the Chiefs in March on a one-year contract worth $12 million with a maximum value of $15 million, and has been a constant presence at training camp at Missouri Western State.
- Despite leading the Chiefs in targets (108), receptions (76), yards (851), touchdowns (5) and receiving first downs (45) last season, Kelce highlighted two critical drops that led to interceptions: one near the goal line against the Eagles, picked off by rookie safety Andrew Mukuba and returned 41 yards, and two back-to-back drops in the final minutes of a loss to the Houston Texans.
- Kelce pointed to "being more accountable when the ball is in the air" and in the blocking game as his priorities, saying he wants to be "one of those guys everybody counts on to get us out of that foxhole."
- Kelce said he wanted to return for a 13th season specifically to continue playing with Patrick Mahomes, who is recovering from December surgery to repair a torn ACL and LCL and is on track to start the Sept. 14 opener against the Denver Broncos on ESPN's Monday Night Football.
Why it matters: The Chiefs are paying Kelce $12 million (up to $15 million) and pairing him with a quarterback still rehabbing from ACL and LCL surgery — so his reliability as Mahomes' security blanket is the immediate variable. Kelce's team-leading production in every receiving category wasn't what lost Kansas City games last year; his two goal-line drops were, and his camp emphasis on contested catches and blocking is a direct response to that film.
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