Travis Kelce Admits He Struggled During Super Bowl 2025 Defeat: 'I Wasn't At My Best'

Travis Kelce recently reflected on his team, the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl loss, admitting he lacked focus during the game.

During a recent episode of his podcast, the NFL star noted that seeing clips from the game made him realize how much his performance lacked.

Travis Kelce, however, has now confirmed he will return for the 2025 season, squashing rumors that he would retire after the Chiefs' loss.

In a new episode of the New Heights podcast, Travis admitted to his brother Jason Kelce that he wasn't as focused as he should have been during his team, the Chiefs' Super Bowl game against the Philadelphia Eagles, which resulted in their defeat.

Reflecting on his performance, Travis said, "I feel like I owe the guys that I come into that building with a whole lot more effort and focus. I just don't know what it was during that game man, I wasn't at my best."

He admitted that watching game footage has only deepened his frustration, adding, "The more that I see clips or watch the film and put myself back into those moments, man, I'm just like 'what the f-ck?'"

Jason, however, urged him not to dwell too much on it, reminding him, "Don't overanalyze it, Trav. You're the king of not overanalyzing, so don't overanalyze it."

However, for Travis, self-reflection is a key part of his process. "But that's how I find motivation," he responded. "That's how I create the beast; that's how I flick the switch."

During the episode, Travis confirmed that he would return for at least one more season in 2025 after considering retirement in the wake of the Chiefs' Super Bowl defeat.

When his brother Jason asked whether the loss would fuel him next season, the 35-year-old tight end gave a thoughtful response.

"Yes and no," he said. "Yes and no. Unfortunately, I've been in a situation where I didn't play my best in the final game and the biggest game of my life."

He explained that putting too much pressure on himself doesn't always lead to success, adding, "You try and make it everything, and you don't find the love of the game doing that, and I feel like I play my best when I'm out there playing for the right reasons."

However, Travis acknowledged that the loss could still serve as motivation in the offseason.

He noted, "Can it be motivation in the offseason to go out and get a few extra reps, go out and run that extra mile, go out and get a few more catches on the jugs, go out and work a little bit harder, watch some extra film? Really analyze what you're showing the opponent, really analyze how you're running your routes so that guys can't get a tick on what route you're running."

Travis further discussed the delicate balance between motivation and frustration.

"All of that can help get you where you are, but you can't go into it like this mad human being that has this built-up animosity about the world and how it didn't go this way, and 'I'll only be satisfied if it goes my way,'" he said,

Travis added: "After Tampa [Super Bowl defeat in 2021], it didn't go my way. I didn't even make it back to the Super Bowl that next year."

The NFL star noted that the key to success is balance. "There are ways to go out there and motivate yourself to be better than you were yesterday, get extra reps, and put everything you can into your preparation," he explained.

Travis added, "But at the end of the day, I play my best when I go out there and have fun, man. I don't play my best when I go out there and I'm p-ssed off at the world and I'm trying to be the bully 'cause I'm playing against guys that act like the bullies.'"

Travis also opened up about his passion for football and his commitment to playing at a high level.

"I think the biggest thing is that I f-cking love playing the game of football," he said. "I love playing. I still feel like I can play it at a high level and possibly at a higher level than I did last year. I don't think it was my best outing. I think I let my guys down in a lot more moments than I helped them, especially if you look at my track record and how I've been in years past."

Kelce admitted that last season's disappointing finish has been weighing on him.

"I want to give it a good run. I got a bad taste in my mouth in how I ended last year and how well I was playing and how accountable I was to the people around me," he added.

Beyond the game itself, Travis shared that his deep-rooted ties to Kansas City keep him motivated.

"I love so many people in Kansas City, both in that facility and in the community, and it's home for me now. I don't want to leave that life yet," Travis explained. "I put in a lot of hard work, and I put in a lot of focus into being the best that I can for K.C. Last year, it didn't end well for us."

He continued, "I just feel like there's a responsibility in me to play out the contract that I initially signed, to give Kansas City and the Chiefs organization everything that I've got, and that's what I'm going to do, man."