Tight end Travis Kelce really tried to make what could be his final career game at Arrowhead Stadium memorable.
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Thursday, the Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Denver Broncos for their final home game of the season. The Missouri club is already guaranteed to miss the next playoffs.
Kelce and his teammates lost 20 to 13, but they came close to creating a surprise in the final minutes of the duel. During the last offensive sequence, the 36-year-old veteran caught two passes.
It was Chris Oladokun who worked as quarterback for the Chiefs during this duel, since Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew were seriously injured. The star player and his replacement both suffered torn knee ligaments.
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Singer Taylor Swift’s fiancé was the player on his team most targeted by the Chiefs’ third quarter. He caught five of the six balls thrown his way for gains of 36 yards.
“It was a lot, a lot of emotion,” Kelce said after the game. The whole world is looking at you. You have the chance to go on the field with the young guys, in prime time. Young people who have the opportunity to taste what life is like in the NFL.
Kelce was inevitably asked if this was indeed his last game at Arrowhead Stadium. He was not yet ready to announce that his 13e season in the Goodell circuit was his last.
“I will make this decision at an appropriate time, making it with my family, my friends and the Chiefs organization,” he said.
Acclaimed
The athlete who amassed the most yards (12,990) on catches in Chiefs history is the last player to be presented to fans. They roared with joy when they saw number 87.
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“You just have a few of those moments where you can stand there and enjoy the fact that 60,000 to 70,000 Chiefs fans are cheering for you. I always savor that moment.”
“You feel the happiness and the love that the fans have,” Kelce continued. It’s something magnificent. It’s something I know I’ll cherish forever, whether it’s coming out of the tunnel or just making a big play for them. That’s why we love Arrowhead.”
The matchup against the Broncos was 97e home game of Kelce’s brilliant career. The Chiefs will end their 2025 campaign on January 4, against the Raiders in Las Vegas.
The third most productive tight end in NFL history appeared in five Super Bowl games and lifted the Vince Lombardi Trophy three times. He is notably the player who caught the most passes during the playoffs (174) as well as the player who managed to amass at least 100 yards in a post-season duel the most often (9).
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