Chiefs GM Reveals Travis Kelce Was Sick Before Super Bowl LIX

Travis Kelce apparently wasn’t feeling like his usual self at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LIX defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles on February 9th.

The superstar tight end was a complete non-factor during the game, only recording 39 yards on four catches in their defeat. The Chiefs were shut out the entire first half, and Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach explained the reasoning behind Kelce’s below-par performance: he was sick.

On an episode of NFL podcast The Insiders, Veach emphasized that while he wasn’t “making excuses,” Kelce was battling an illness, which explained his lack of impact.

“We’re never gonna make excuses. But yeah, he was battling a pretty big illness before the Super Bowl,” he said in a preview clip. He also said that it likely wouldn’t have mattered: “The way the Eagles played, it wouldn’t have made a difference. We just didn’t have the end of the season that we had hoped for.”

Since the game, retirement rumors have been swirling around Kelce, who himself admitted that he has no idea what will happen yet. “I’m kicking every possible can down the road I can,” he said on a recent episode of his podcast with brother Jason.

However, Veach stated at the NFL Combine that he not only expects Kelce to return, he says he is “fired up” about the new season.

“How we left at the end of the season is that he was fired up,” said Veach. “I think we left it as he’d be back, and we’re excited to get him back and going.”

Of course, no official announcement has been made by either the Chiefs organization or Kelce himself when it comes to his return for the 2025/26 NFL season. Regardless, there seems to be optimism in the organization that Patrick Mahomes will get his favorite target back for at least one final season.