A somber Travis Kelce is grappling with a “tough” Chiefs reality after falling to 6-7 on the season.
Reflecting on Sunday’s 20-10 home loss to the Texans in primetime — in which the veteran tight end had a crucial drop that turned into a Houston interception — Kelce remarked how he “can’t find” the answers in a season that’s poised to be defined by the reigning AFC champions coming up short where it counts.
“You put in all this f–king work and hope that it pays off. And right now, it’s just for whatever f–king reason, man, it’s little things,” the 36-year-old Kelce said on Wednesday’s installment of his “New Heights” podcast.
“I feel like I’ve always had the answers in years past. And this year, I just can’t find them. I keep thinking if I show up to work and I put in the work and I fix the issues through my practice habits and through perfecting the game plan and my fundamentals and what I’m being taught and go out there and try and play my ass off for my guys next to me, it’s all going to come together like it has in years past. And this year is just not, man.”
Entering Sunday’s contest at 6-6, the Chiefs had little margin for error in hopes of keeping their postseason aspirations alive.
Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes had a night to forget, tossing three interceptions and zero touchdowns, while Kelce tallied just one reception for eight yards on five targets.
With the Chiefs trailing 17-10 late in the fourth quarter, Mahomes targeted Kelce, only for the ball to hit the tight end’s hands and fall into the grasp of Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.
The Chiefs are on the outside of the AFC playoff picture and have a mere 12 percent chance of reaching the postseason as of Wednesday.
With a game against the rival Chargers (9-4) looming Sunday, the odds can either rise to 19 percent with a victory or drop to less than one percent with a loss.
Looking at the home stretch of the regular season, Kelce is going to do what he always does: “Show up to work and f–king give it my all.”
“If there’s a game to be played, I’m going to f–king make it the most important game in the world, but obviously looking at the playoffs, this is a tough reality to be in especially with how we’ve always found a way in years past so, it’s a s–ty f–king feeling, especially dropping the f–king ball late in the game like that when we were on our last f–king chance to make something shake. It’s a s—ty feeling, man. You put in all this work to be there for your guys,” Kelce said.
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He later added: “We got four games left, will put my f–king heart on the line for these guys cause they deserve that, Chiefs Kingdom, you guys deserve that, and we’re going to keep this thing f–king rolling.”
A three-time Super Bowl champion, Kelce has played his entire career for the Chiefs and is expected to make a decision about his future early next year.
It’s been reported that he and fiancée Taylor Swift will also tie the knot on June 13, 2026. She was in attendance for Sunday’s game.
Kickoff between the Chiefs and Chargers is set for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
