Travis Kelce wore his heartbreak on his sleeve after the Chiefs’ gut-wrenching playoff loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The 36-year-old trudged past fans and reporters, helmet in hand, looking crushed and frustrated as Kansas City’s postseason dreams evaporated. To make matters worse, star QB Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL in the final minutes.
Travis Kelce holds back tears after Chiefs’ loss
After the Chiefs’ 16-13 loss to the Chargers on Dec. 14, Travis Kelce looked crushed. In footage shared on X, the veteran tight end trudged toward the locker room, punching a wall in frustration. When reporters approached, Kelce politely declined to comment, saying it wasn’t the right moment and promising to address questions later in the week. “It’s not the time,” “I’ll catch you guys during the week,” Kelce said.
The defeat stung even more for fans after quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during the final minutes of the game. The team is exploring surgical options, while Mahomes took to X to thank fans for their support.
Kelce’s future with the Chiefs is still up in the air. Back in November, he said he wanted to give the team a heads-up about returning, so they could plan their offseason. “Like, whether they want me back or not, it’s one of those things where I’d like to make that decision before they’ve got to get draft picks and free agency opens up,” he said.
Sunday’s loss officially crushed the Chiefs’ playoff hopes. Going into the Chargers game, they’d needed to win all four games and hope other teams stumbled, but that dream died on the field. Kelce’s heavy walk-off captured it all, including the heartbreak, the pressure, and the looming reality that this might be his final NFL season.
