The Kansas City Chiefs have been soaring to ‘New Heights’ for nearly a decade. In 2025, they are sinking to new lows.
After seven straight AFC championship game appearances and three Super Bowl victories, the Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 15. While that was bound to happen at some point, their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers will linger a bit longer as Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL in the process – an injury that could keep him out into the 2026 season.
It has been a tough year for everyone involved in the Chiefs’ operation, but Travis Kelce can be seen as a headliner. While he didn’t directly address his long-term future with the Chiefs or in the NFL, he touched on a number of topics on the latest episode of ‘New Heights,’ which released on Dec. 17:
Travis Kelce on Chiefs’ playoff elimination
‘When you need them the most, things weren’t falling for us,’ Kelce said about the team being eliminated. ‘Gotta go back to the drawing board. We got three games left. The integrity of who you are as a professional, as a player, you gotta love this (expletive). Chiefs Kingdom, we’re gonna give you everything we’ve got. There’s no question about that.’
The tight end’s 13th season has been far from lucky. He will now miss the playoffs for just the second time in his career.
Travis Kelce discusses Patrick Mahomes injury on ‘New Heights’
Kelce noted that plenty of players on the Chiefs were dealing with injuries heading into the game and throughout the contest. He acknowledged that they fought to the end, but seeing Mahomes go down didn’t feel real.
‘On a freakish play to see one-five go down like that man, it (expletive), it was almost like it wasn’t real,’ Kelce added. (Expletive) just sucks man.’
He said there was a belief that they would find a way to win like they always do, but that wasn’t in the cards for Kansas City in Week 15. The Chiefs had been dominant in one-score games a year ago. That script has been flipped in 2025, posting a 1-7 record in those situations.
Regardless, they still had the ball, down 16-13, with the chance to tie or take the lead before Mahomes suffered his injury with less than a minute to go.
‘Sure felt like that,’ Kelce said, thinking they would find a way to win. ‘That’s why when one-five went down, I was like, ‘No way this is what happens, right?’
Travis Kelce addresses Mahomes’ return, Chiefs’ 2026 prospects
Whether Mahomes returns in time for the 2026 season remains to be seen, but the tight end isn’t counting him out.
‘He’s a warrior,’ Kelce said. ‘I’m telling you. This guy played through everything, battled through everything, crowned champion because he’s battled through everything. He’s gonna battle through this. It’s the only way this guy is wired. He’s gonna make sure he’s gonna come back stronger than ever.’
‘Hopefully the Chiefs can get him back as soon as possible,’ Kelce added. ‘I know he’s gonna be doing everything he can to get back out on that field for the Chiefs.’
For now, Kansas City will turn to Gardner Minshew for the remainder of the season.
Travis Kelce on his future with Chiefs
There are just three games left for the 2025 Chiefs. None of them will have playoff implications, but that won’t stop Kelce from putting his best foot forward in what became a slightly emotional rant.
‘There’s an integrity thing here that when you sign up for the gig,’ Kelce said. ‘You’re living out a kid’s dream that never got a chance to do this. You’re playing this game obviously to win Super Bowls, you’re playing this game to be in those playoff scenarios, but at the end of the day, you’re playing in the NFL. And that’s a (expletive) blessing.
‘That’s an honor. It’s an honor to be out there. It’s an honor to feel the soreness because you’re actually out there, (expletive) doing it. No matter if you’re getting the (expletive) ball thrown to you, no matter if you’re blocking your tail off. It’s an honor to be out there in a uniform, playing for the guys around you, playing for your family, playing for the people back home that are watching you.’
With just three games to go, it remains a mystery if there will be more than that for the star tight end, who didn’t discuss his future in the wake of the Chiefs’ elimination and Mahomes’ injury.
It feels like the end of an era. It remains to be seen if it truly is.
Only time will tell.
