Travis Kelce Silent After Chiefs’ Season Ends, Sparking Debate Over Media Responsibility and Retirement Rumors
The Kansas City Chiefs’ postseason dreams came to a screeching halt on Sunday in a gut-wrenching 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The defeat not only eliminated them from playoff contention but also raised serious questions about the future of franchise cornerstone Travis Kelce.
Kelce, 36, is nearing the end of his contract and, possibly, his Hall of Fame career. After 13 seasons of elite production, leadership, and Super Bowl glory, the tight end now faces a crossroads. But on the day the Chiefs’ season ended-and with it, perhaps Kelce’s run in Kansas City-he walked past the media without offering a word.
That decision didn’t sit well with everyone.
During a fiery segment on ESPN’s First Take, longtime sports commentator Chris Russo took direct aim at Kelce, criticizing the veteran tight end for skipping postgame media responsibilities. Russo didn’t hold back, arguing that Kelce owed at least a few words to the beat reporters who’ve covered him day in and day out for years.
“They just lose the game, and Mahomes tears his ACL,” Russo said, referencing the brutal final sequence that saw Patrick Mahomes go down with a serious injury and Gardner Minshew’s late interception while targeting Kelce. “Kelce, after he settles down in the locker room, says, ‘Not today, fellas, I’m not going to talk to you.’”
Russo’s frustration centered on the idea that Kelce, one of the most visible faces of the franchise, left the media-and by extension, the fans-without any closure on a season that ended in disappointment.
“Hold on… time out,” Russo continued. “We got these poor guys who have been covering the Chiefs for years, every training camp, every preseason game.
Every day for seven months, they cover the football team. And you blow them off at the end of this game when they got Mahomes out, maybe the last game you’re ever going to play?”
Russo wasn’t just talking about media etiquette-he was pointing to a moment when fans and reporters alike were looking for leadership, for some acknowledgment of the gravity of the moment. A simple comment, Russo argued, would have gone a long way.
“You can’t give them three words? You can’t give them, ‘Terrible day for us.
I don’t know what I’m going to do with my career. Hope Pat will be OK’ when you’re walking out the door?”
Instead, Kelce reportedly opted to stay silent, fueling speculation that he may be saving his thoughts for his own platform-the New Heights podcast he co-hosts with his brother, Jason Kelce. That move drew further criticism from Russo, who questioned the idea of bypassing traditional media in favor of personal channels.
“Maybe you want to save the exclusive news,” Russo said. “But no serious sports fan listens to that nonsense anyway… Walking off the field, you don’t talk to the press and get into the car-that is wrong. That is not the way to do things.”
While Russo’s reaction was pointed, it speaks to a broader conversation around athletes, media obligations, and the evolving landscape of player-controlled narratives. Kelce, like many modern stars, has a direct line to fans through his podcast. But in moments like Sunday’s loss-when emotions are raw and futures uncertain-there’s still a place for the traditional postgame interview, especially for a player of his stature.
And speaking of that podcast-Kelce may not have spoken to the press on Sunday, but he did speak a few days later. In the latest episode of New Heights, he discussed Mahomes’ injury and the end of the Chiefs’ season. But it was a subtle shift in language that caught fans’ attention.
“He’s a fearless, fearless warrior when it comes to this football thing,” Kelce said of Mahomes. “He’s gonna make sure he comes back stronger than ever. Hopefully the Chiefs can get him back as soon as possible.”
That phrase-the Chiefs, not we-was enough to send fans into a frenzy. On social media, some interpreted it as a sign that Kelce is mentally stepping away from the team, perhaps signaling that retirement is indeed on the table.
“Why does he say ‘the Chiefs’ instead of ‘we’?” one fan asked on X. Another chimed in: “It’s pretty telling he says ‘the Chiefs’ instead of ‘we.’”
Whether Kelce is simply being cautious with his words or subtly preparing fans for a farewell, only time will tell. What’s clear is this: the Chiefs’ season ended with more questions than answers. Mahomes is facing a long road back from injury, and Kelce-arguably the greatest tight end of his era-might have played his final snap.
If that’s the case, it’s a tough way to go out: walking off the field in silence, leaving behind a fanbase hungry for one last message from one of its greatest heroes.