The Kansas City Chiefs got very good news last week during the NFL Combine. It was officially announced that star tight end Travis Kelce would return for his 13th season. 

And for the first time since that came out, Kelce spoke about his decision during the latest episode of the New Heights podcast. 

Jason Kelce began the conversation by asking a very important question. 

“Why are you going to go out there, risk injury, and make less money than you could make not playing football. Why are you doing this,” Jason asked. 

“Well that was the one I had to juggle right there,” Travis jokingly responded. “I think the biggest thing is that I f***ing love playing the game of football, man.”

Jason knows that feeling all too well. 

“That’s a good reason,” the older Kelce brother chimed in. 

“I love playing. I still feel like I can play at a high level, and possibly at a higher level than last year. I don’t think it was my best outing. I think I let my guys down in a lot more moment then I helped them,” Travis continued. “Especially if you look at my track record and how I’ve been in years past. I just, I want to give it a good run. I got a bad taste in my mouth on how I ended the year, and how well I was playing, and how accountable I was for the people around me. 

“And I love so many people in Kansas City, both in that facility and the community. And it’s home for me now. I don’t want to leave that life yet. I put in a lot of hard work and a lot of focus into being the best that I can for KC and last year, it just didn’t end well for us. 

“And I feel like there’s a responsibility in me to play out the contract I initially signed, to give Kansas City and the Chiefs organization everything that I got, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

For Jason, he decided to retire after back-to-back heartbreaking losses in the playoffs. So, he understands

“I hear what you are saying. It’s hard losing a Super Bowl, and you feel like there’s so many things you could have done better or whatnot. And you kind of referenced it. I think, don’t lose sight of the big reason that you guys were there, and it’s because of who you are,” Jason explained. “And I think sometimes you lose sight of that when you don’t maximize the end goal, which is winning the Super Bowl. I know you are going to be dedicated like you always are. It keeps getting harder though.”