Travis Kelce in tears amid bombshell retirement rumour at Super Bowl LIX

Travis Kelce has been spotted in tears before and during the Super Bowl and it’s fuelling speculation about a huge incoming move.

Heartbreaking footage of Travis Kelce leaving the field after the Chiefs suffered an embarrassing Super Bowl defeat at the hands of the Eagles has further sparked rumours he could be set to retire.

Kelce was ineffectual as Kansas City struggled to stay with Philadelphia on Monday (AEDT) as the NFL great’s overall poor season continued.

The 35-year-old tight end has had a down year by his standards with only three receiving touchdowns in the regular season and his trademark safe hands nowhere to be seen.

And with Kelce seemingly on the decline, there have been rumours he is considering retirement.

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That speculation was further stoked by NFL insider James Palmer saying Kelce was “moved to tears” during his speech to the team on Sunday (AEDT), and that players and staff around the club were of the belief the Super Bowl could be his final ever game win or lose.

“I’m told just like last year Travis Kelce was moved to tears during his speech to the team last night at the team hotel,” Palmer wrote on X.

“He’s an emotional person, and some in the organisation don’t want to admit it, but they do believe this could be his final game. He hasn’t said anything one way or another so we’ll see.”

Pictured Travis Kelce after Chiefs loss

On Monday (AEDT) as the Chiefs were dominated in all aspects on the field, Kelce was losing the plot on the sideline.

After falling 17-0 behind to the Eagles in the second quarter after Patrick Mahomes threw a pick-six, Kelce was distraught, according to the New York Post.

“As you can imagine, a lot of emotion on the Chiefs’ sideline,” Fox sideline reporter Erin Andrews said.

“Of course, Travis Kelce with a couple of drops that he’s had today. The sideline was pretty calm and cool when they were down 10-0, then, of course, the pick-six, and we’re seeing different emotions.”

Fox then cut to Mahomes, who reportedly tried to calm down Kelce.

“This was Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce was trying to talk to him on the sidelines and he said over and over, ‘I got it. I got it,’” Andrews said. “Creed Humphries screaming at the offensive line.”

It didn’t get any better from there either for Kelce with the Chiefs eventually going down 40-22.

Travis Kelce’s future is clouded in uncertainty after he was spotted in tears ahead of Super Bowl LIX (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

And after a loss in the Super Bowl, speculation has continued whether Kelce could call time on his career, with nothing left to prove.

However, his comments on Super Bowl Opening Night seemed to point to him continuing.

Kelce said: “Where will I be in three years? I don’t know. Hopefully, still playing football”.

“I love doing this. I love coming into work every day. I feel like I’ve still got a lot of good football left in me. We’ll see what happens.

“I know I’ve been setting myself up for other opportunities in my life. That’s always been the goal, knowing that football only lasts so long. You’ve got to find a way to get into another career and another profession.

“I’ve been doing that in my off-seasons. But for the most part I plan on being a Kansas City Chief and playing football.”

Kelce will have plenty of opportunities in his post-playing career in the media. He and his brother Jason have a successful podcast and Travis’ profile has risen over the last 18 months that he has been dating pop star Taylor Swift.

Travis Kelce (right) has had a down season by his standards. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

That is why he drew a large crowd again Monday night. He got questions about who would win a thumb wrestling match against his brother and his favourite Mexican food and, of course, plenty of questions about Swift.

His favourite meal of hers?

“She is quite the cook. I would say I’m a breakfast guy, man,” Kelce said. “Her Pop Tarts are unbelievable. Homemade Pop Tarts, unbelievable.”

Swift grew up in Pennsylvania, but Kelce said he does not believe she was ever an Eagles fan and he knows who she’ll be rooting for on Sunday.

“I don’t know her to have the fandom. I know her father has the Philadelphia fandom as an Eagles fan,” Kelce said. “She’ll be all for the Chiefs this time around.”

Travis Kelce’s stardom has risen to an all new level after he began dating pop sensation Taylor Swift (Photo by JAMIE SQUIRE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Who is her dad rooting for?

“I’ll have to ask Scott himself,” Kelce said. “We haven’t had that convo yet but I think he’ll be wearing red.”

Kelce has been at the Super Bowl enough times now that he knows what to expect and he seemed to enjoy himself Monday night in front of the cameras and microphones.

“My first Super Bowl, I got caught into the hype,” Kelce said. “It’s easy to get caught into the hype with all the lights. It’s the biggest game of your life. The entire world is watching. … The biggest lesson I’ve learned is don’t let the hype get to you.”

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Travis Kelce in tears amid bombshell retirement rumour at Super Bowl LIX