LAS VEGAS — Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce kept getting interrupted. The good kind, though.
This was minutes after the Chiefs’ season-ending 14-12 road loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, when Kelce’s corner locker in the visiting clubhouse nearly had the appearance of a wedding receiving line.
Here came defensive end Charles Omenihu, slapping Kelce’s hand before the tight end gave him a wink. Then defensive backs coach Dave Merritt, who went all the way in for a hug … that Kelce was happy to accept.
A bit later, Kelce would also be met by his coach’s boss and a celebrity singer, with an unspoken question hanging in the air as each made their way over:
Was this Kelce’s last game in the NFL?
It had to be on Chiefs owner Clark Hunt’s mind as he approached Kelce afterward.
“Congrats on 13 years,” Hunt said to him, before later adding, “Good stuff.”
A few seconds later, Kevin Richardson — member of the Backstreet Boys and Chiefs supporter — walked up while introducing Kelce to his sons, Mason and Maxwell.
Kelce dapped up each one, with Richardson speaking for a fan base with three words in particular.
“Appreciate you, man,” Richardson said.
So, after 13 NFL seasons, will Kelce actually hang it up? That’s long been the presumption this season, with the 36-year-old playing in the final year of his Chiefs contract.
Kelce — while keeping with his season-long pattern — didn’t tip his hand in a meeting with reporters at his locker after the game.
“I’ve got so much love for this team, this organization and the people here,” Kelce said. “So I’ll spend some time with them, go through exit meetings tomorrow and get close to the family and figure things out.”
A few weeks ago, Kelce’s brother, Jason — a 13-year NFL pro himself before retirement — suggested Travis take some time away from football in the offseason to clear his mind before ultimately deciding what to do.
Travis, though, didn’t commit to that Sunday when asked how he would proceed.
“I mean, who knows? Who knows? Either it hits me quick, or I’ve got to take some time,” Kelce said. “I think last year was a little bit easier. I think I knew right away I wanted to give this one a shot. So we’ll see.”
At least one teammate remained unconvinced this was the last we’ll see of Kelce on an NFL field.
That was Chiefs defensive tackle and close friend Chris Jones. When asked generically what he thought about it potentially being Kelce’s last game, Jones covered his face before speaking honestly.
“I’m not buying it,” Jones said. “He’ll be back next year.”
Why did Jones feel that way? He referenced the “tricky” season K.C. had just gone through, which ended with a 6-11 record and a 1-9 mark in one-score games.
Jones made sure to say he couldn’t promise anything when it came to someone else’s choice.
But still …
“I’ve got faith,” Jones said, “in my dawg coming back.”
Kelce’s final call could be influenced by what happened to him personally this season.
In particular, he still was effective. Kelce entered the week third among all tight ends in receiving yards, and thanks to some extra offseason work on his conditioning, he showed a renewed level of burst that wasn’t always present a season ago.
“Obviously, we didn’t do as well as a team, but I felt like I came into the season prepared and ready to rock and roll with the right intentions,” Kelce said. “The ball just didn’t go our way in a lot of those close games, unfortunately. And I think if I do choose to come back, that’s something I’ve really got to focus on, making sure that I’m available and I’m ready for those moments.”
After previously vowing this season that he wanted to play football “until the wheels fall off,” Kelce acknowledged Sunday that his wheels were “feeling pretty good” even after playing all 17 games this season.
He would remain a tight end outlier if he came back. Only one NFL tight end — Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez — has produced more than 550 receiving yards in his age-37 season.
To compare, Kelce has not gone under 823 receiving yards in any of his last 12 seasons.
Kelce had three catches for 12 yards Sunday, but he also reached two milestones. He became the quickest tight end to reach 13,000 yards while also logging 75 receptions for a 10th straight season — tying the NFL record set by receiver Tim Brown.
A reunion with the Chiefs would require a new contract. On Sunday, Kelce said terms for that would be on his mind only if things came to that point.
“That’s all down the road,” Kelce said. “I think I’ve still got to make that decision first to even feel what kind of importance that (amount of money in the contract) means to me.”
After his talk with reporters — and the cameras had dispersed — Kelce pulled a green Louis Vuitton bag strap over his shoulder, securing it before exiting out of the back of the locker room.
Was his final NFL ride here at Allegiant Stadium?
At least one of his friends remains skeptical.
“Hopefully, this isn’t our last year. We have so much more growth to do this year, and so much work to do,” Jones said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
