A fresh NFL campaign is around the corner and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is prepared to leave last season’s Super Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the past.
The three-time champion recently spoke to ESPN’s Nate Nate Taylor about his mindset entering 2025, and did not pull any punches.
“I've thrown that thing in the trash,” Kelce said of the Chiefs' 40-22 blowout loss to the Eagles. “I've moved on. It happened sooner than you can imagine. I was pretty focused on this year in the offseason.”
Kelce struggled in the loss. He only caught four passes and recorded 39 receiving yards against Philadelphia. The offseason brought about speculation regarding his future.
While many wondered if he would retire from football, the 35-year-old has returned to training camp with a renewed sense of passion.
“I love it here,” Kelce said, smiling again. “It gets me away from everything else that's going on in this crazy world. You can really just focus in on your craft and focus in on being the best you can for the guys around you, man.
“Football has always been the biggest driving force I've ever had. I love coming out here and focusing on this and getting better for another run at hopefully a Super Bowl.”
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has taken note of Kelce’s focus, and has also been particularly impressed by the tight end’s physique.
“He's svelte right now. He looks like he's 20,” Andy Reid said recently. “He's doing a good job and he's in great shape. I'm not sure he didn't come in first on the whole conditioning thing. He was right up front. You can see he's been working out. He's worked hard to get to this spot.”
The Chiefs will need Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes to be locked in if they want to avenge last season’s outcome. They will face the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1 once the regular season kicks off.