Travis Kelce has bemoaned his lack of ‘focus’ during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss to the Eagles – which came two days after a controversial date night with Taylor Swift.
Kansas City missed out on a historic three-peat in New Orleans last month, with Philadelphia instead shattering their hopes after cruising to a one-sided 40-22 victory at Super Bowl LIX.
It proved a miserable evening for Travis, who was largely anonymous at Caesars Superdome with girlfriend Taylor watching on from the stands.
His underwhelming display came less than 48 hours after he and teammate Patrick Mahomes controversially headed out for a late-night dinner with their respective partners in the Big Easy, a move which raised concerns given how close it was to the game.
And one month on from their heavy defeat to Philadelphia, the 35-year-old has admitted he wasn’t as focused as he should have been at the Super Bowl.
While ᴀssessing his below-par performance, Kelce told older brother Jason on the latest episode of their New Heights podcast: ‘I feel like I owe the guys that I come into that building with a whole lot more effort and focus. I just don’t know what it was during that game man, I wasn’t at my best.
Travis Kelce has bemoaned his lack of ‘focus’ during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss to the Eagles
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‘The more that I see clips or watch the film and put myself back into those moments, man, I’m just like “what the f**k.”‘
Jason replied: ‘Don’t overanalyze it Trav. You’re the king of not overanalyzing, so don’t overanalyze it.’
Travis then added: ‘But that’s how I find motivation. That’s how I create the beast, that’s how I flick the switch.’
Kelce recently confirmed he will return for at least one more season with the Chiefs in 2025 after weighing up retirement following the blowout defeat to the Eagles.
When asked by Jason if he will have extra motivation next season, Travis said: ‘Yes and no. Unfortunately I’ve been in a situation where I didn’t play my best in the final game and the biggest game of my life.
‘You try and make it everything and you don’t find the love of the game doing that, and I feel like I play my best when I’m out there playing for the right reasons.
‘Can it be motivation in the offseason to go out and get a few extra reps, go out and run that extra mile, go out and get a few more catches on the jugs, go out and work a little bit harder, watch some extra film. Really analyze what you’re showing the opponent, really analyze how you’re running your routes so that guys can’t get a tick on what route you’re running.
‘All of that can help get you where you are, but you can’t go into it like this mad human being that has this built-up animosity about the world and how it didn’t go this way, and “I’ll only be satisfied if it goes my way,” because after Tampa [Super Bowl defeat in 2021] it didn’t go my way, I didn’t even make it back to the Super Bowl that next year.
The 35-year-old struggled to make an impact as the Chiefs were well beaten at the Super Bowl
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‘There’s ways to go out there and motivate yourself to be better than you were yesterday, get extra reps and put everything you can into your preparation.
‘But at the end of the day, I play my best when I go out there and have fun man. I don’t play my best when I go out there and I’m p****d off at the world and I’m trying to be the bully cause I’m playing against guys that act like the bullies.’
Kelce signed a two-year, $34.25million contract – with $17m guaranteed – back in April 2024.
There is still one year left on that deal in Kansas City, where Kelce has played his entire career since being selected in the third round of the 2013 draft.
The тιԍнт end has spent the last decade working under Andy Reid and, together with quarterback Mahomes, they built the best team of this era. Kelce is already a three-time Super Bowl champion but the Chiefs failed in their bid for a historic three-peat.
‘It was a gut feeling. I f***ing love this game, man, and I love going into the building with the guys who are there,’ Kelce continued.
‘Coach Reid has been one of the biggest influences on my life, not just in the game of football and I don’t want to stop going to work with him, learning from him or being the reason he doesn’t have success.
‘I want that guy to have the most success in the world because of who he’s been in my life. That’s the same with Pat (Mahomes). There are so many people in that building who I love with all my heart and I want to keep living out those dreams.’