During his minicamp press conference on Wednesday, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes commented on Travis Kelce returning for another season after mulling retirement.

“Yeah, I expect Travis to be Travis, man. And obviously, the play on the field is going to be high. He’s going to go out there with the mentality that we’re trying to win the Super Bowl this year because (of) falling short last year,” said Mahomes, “But then I think more than anything, it’s the leadership. They bring stability every single day, and He leads by example and vocally. It’s a big impact on our football team, so I started to play at a high level and be an even better leader.”

Kelce contemplated retirement after the Super Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, as Mahomes gave the tight end time to decide.

“We never talked about it. I think you had that in the back of your mind. I mean, for anybody who’s played a lot of football seasons, there’s always a chance if they’re going to come back and put in the work in the off-season.” said Mahomes, “I think everybody wants to play the games; but putting in the work in the off seasons where stuff gets strenuous. And so, for him, I think it was just recalibrating and seeing where he’s at. From what I’ve seen, I think y’all can see he’s ready to go. He’s been putting in the work this offseason, and he’s excited for another chance to make a run at it.”

The 35-year-old Kelce posted 823 yards with three touchdowns on 97 receptions in 2024. He is vital to the Chiefs’ hopeful explosive offense as the team focuses on big plays in 2025.