The Chiefs\u2019 front office knows Travis Kelce is chasing Father Time.<\/p>\n
With the 35-year-old tight end preparing for his 13th season in the league after a statistically down year \u2014 823 yards in 2024 compared to 984 in 2023, among other notable drops \u2014 Chiefs general manager Brett Veach told ESPN that even though Kelce is on the back nine, he still flashes when it matters most.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve all seen it over the last few years,\u201d Veach said<\/a>. \u201cThere are periods throughout the season where you\u2019re like, \u2018This might be it.\u2019 But when the games are the most important and the lights are the brightest, he finds it somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n Travis Kelce is on the back-nine according to his General Manager. Getty Images<\/p>\n General manager Brett Veach of the Kansas City Chiefs. Getty Images<\/p>\n Kelce, embracing an even brighter glare of the spotlight in the wake of his relationship with Taylor Swift, was at the center of retirement chatter earlier this year after a quiet offensive season (three touchdowns versus five in 2023).<\/p>\n His 823 yards marked his career-low for a full season.<\/p>\n Then came Super Bowl 2025, when the defending champion Chiefs flopped on the biggest stage<\/a> in a 40-22 loss to the Eagles.<\/p>\n Travis Kelce and the Chiefs turned in a dud of a performance against the Eagles in Super Bowl 2025. Getty Images<\/p>\n The Pro Bowl tight end tallied four receptions for 39 yards.<\/p>\n Kelce put retirement rumors to bed<\/a> a short time after and has been working out<\/a> in Florida this offseason \u2014 with the support of Swift, 35.<\/p>\n Travis Kelce has been under a microscope as his romance with Taylor Swift intensifies. te_university\/Instagram<\/p>\n \u201cThe great ones know how to find it,\u201d Veach added of Kelce. \u201cThey know where it\u2019s buried, and they know how to access it. And they can\u2019t access it at that age week in and week out, but when they need it, they know how to find it.\u201d<\/p>\n