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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has opened up about the team's devastating 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl. Speaking on his New Heights podcast with his brother Jason Kelce, he admitted, "It just wasn't our day. I couldn't find a lick of momentum. I'm kicking myself for some of the tiny, tiny decisions I made on the field."
Kelce, a three-time Super Bowl champion, took responsibility for his performance, saying, "I wasn't the best leader that I could be in motivating my guys and keeping my guys calm, cool, 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 the Super Bowl."
Struggling to hold back emotions, Kelce acknowledged the pain of the loss but expressed gratitude for his support system. "It's a tough pill to swallow. It's a hard reality, man. I love my teammates, I love my coaches. Chiefs Kingdom, I'm sorry for how it ended. I have a beautiful life. I have loved ones, I have the most amazing family in the world that supports me in everything that I do. They were all there, cheering me on and hoping for the best on Sunday."
He also reflected on his role in the team's struggles. "I wish things would have been different. I wish I had made better decisions early on to help my guy Pat [Mahomes] out and help my team find that momentum and that confidence." However, he made sure to give credit to the Eagles, stating, "I just have to tip my hat to the Eagles."
His brother Jason, a former Eagles center, tried to lift his spirits by pointing out that despite the tough night, Kelce had set a new record for the most catches in Super Bowl history. With four receptions for 39 yards in the game, Kelce's career total reached 35, surpassing NFL legend Jerry Rice's 33. "You broke the most catches in Super Bowl history," Jason said. "You have so many records at this point... but at the end of the day, it's just another thing that cements you as one of the best players ever to play in the NFL."
Kelce, however, was too disheartened to celebrate the milestone, replying, "That's the last thing I care about right now."
Addressing reporters in the locker room after the game, Kelce admitted, "We haven't played that bad all year. You don't lose like that without everything going bad." He added, "They got after us, all three phases. We just couldn't find that spark. We couldn't find that momentum."
While he did not directly address retirement rumors, his decision will likely be revealed before the NFL free agency period begins on March 12.
