The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans 23-14 in the divisional round. Next up, the Chiefs take on the Buffalo Bills in their seventh consecutive AFC championship game.
Because Kansas City secured the No. 1 seed in the conference, they earned home-field advantage against Buffalo. Thus far this season, Kansas City has a perfect record at home.
With just one more win at Arrowhead Stadium, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Co. not only become back-to-back AFC title winners, they also punch their ticket to the 2025 Super Bowl.
While the Chiefs' defense has their work cut out trying to stop Bills star Josh Allen, Buffalo's defense has the difficult task of shutting down tight end Travis Kelce. "Playoff Trav," as Mahomes called him after he registered seven catches for a season-high 117 yards and a touchdown against Houston, is a force in the postseason.
Kelce enters the AFC championship game with the most receptions (172), second-most receiving yards (2,020), and touchdown receptions (20), trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (2,245 receiving yards and 22 touchdown receptions) in both categories. The 35-year-old made playoff history against the Texans, recording his ninth postseason game with 100+ yards.
While Kelce is clearly still playing at an elite level, rumors of his possible retirement continue to swirl. Should the Chiefs succeed in winning a historic Super Bowl three-peat, will Kelce decide to hang up his cleats for good?
During an appearance on 96.5 The Fan on Tuesday, January 21, host Carrington Harrison asked Mahomes' thoughts on whether the AFC championship could be Kelce's swan song at Arrowhead Stadium. If the Chiefs advance to the Super Bowl, they will play either the Philadelphia Eagles or the Washington Commanders at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
"I have no idea. He hasn't said anything to me if he's thinking that," Mahomes answered. "I know he signed a two-year extension before the season, it seems like he still loves football. But he also has a great life, as well."
Kelce signed a restructured two-year, $34.25 million contract with Kansas City in April. And yes, the 10-time Pro Bowler appears incredibly happy with his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, along with all his new acting opportunities.
"Either way, I just appreciate every time I step onto the field with that guy knowing that he's a true legend of not only the Chiefs but of the NFL," Mahomes concluded. "If it is his last game, let's go out there and get him a win. If it's not his last game, let's go out and get him a win anyway."
Should Kelce decide to announce his retirement after this season, fans can rest assured that the decision was his alone. Speaking to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith on his eponymous show last week, the host asked if Swift possibly wanted him to stop playing due to the high level of violence in the sport.
"She's fully encouraging me to enjoy playing this game," Kelce said. "She loves coming to Arrowhead and coming to the games and cheering for me so I got all the support in the world to keep chasing these dreams."
Personally, however, Kelce admitted he's at least contemplated retirement after 12 years in the league. "It changes every single day."
Before his big game against Houston, "I love everything that I'm doing in this building, but at the end of the day, I'm not having that extreme success on the field as I have individually," he said. "I'll reevaluate it like I always do, and I'll probably tell myself how much I love this thing and I'll come back next year.
"I can't fathom what it would feel like just being able to say I'm satisfied because I'm still hungry to go and get something right now."