Travis Kelce wasn’t 100% going into this year’s Super Bowl LIX.
“He was battling with [a] pretty big illness there before the Super Bowl,” the Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach said in an interview on the Tuesday, February 25, episode of the NFL “Insiders” podcast, a clip of which host Tom Pelissero shared via X.
Veach said that Kelce’s illness was not an “excuse” for the Chiefs’ disappointing 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans on February 9. However, he noted, “With the way the Eagles played, it wouldn’t have made a difference” to the outcome of the big name.
Veach also weighed in on Kelce’s NFL future amid speculation that the Chiefs tight end, 35, might hang up his boots. “I think that Travis is excited to come back,” said Veach. “He makes us better when he’s in the locker room and on the field. Excited to get him back.”
Kelce previously addressed the Chiefs’ Super Bowl performance on his and his brother Jason Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast on February 12.
“Outside of the game I just wanted to thank my teammates for everything they f—ing do man, you know. the effort the focus the work that we put in — that wasn’t the reason,” he said. “Going into the game I felt as confident as I ever felt going into a Super Bowl or a playoff game or a big game in my life … It just wasn’t our day. Couldn’t find a lick of momentum.”
Kelce reflected on his own role in the loss, adding, “I’m kicking myself for some of the tiny, tiny decisions I made on the field trying to do something more than what I was asked to do … I wasn’t the best leader that I could be in motivating my guys, in keeping my guys calm, cool and 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 a Super Bowl … It’s a tough pill to swallow, man.”
Kelce explained that “every time” the Chiefs felt like they “got something going” on the field, the play would take a turn. “To have it happen for the second time in my career on the biggest stage, man, it’s a tough pill to swallow. It’s a hard reality. … This sport can humble you quite fast.”
The Chiefs had the opportunity to secure their third consecutive Super Bowl title, but the Eagles dominated the majority of the game, keeping the Chiefs off the scoreboard until the third quarter. The Eagles ultimately won 40-22, earning redemption for their 2023 Super Bowl loss against the Chiefs.
In a post-game interview following the Super Bowl, Kelce said, “Hats off to the Eagles, man. They got after us. All three phases. [We] couldn’t get it going offensively. They just got after us on all three phases, and on top of that, turnovers, penalties, playing behind the sticks on offense … dropped passes, not taking advantage of the play call and executing them. There’s a lot that goes into it. You don’t lose like that without everything going bad. … [We] just couldn’t find that spark, couldn’t find that momentum.”
