Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce looking on.Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce (Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images)

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice claims to be “95 percent of the reason” why teammate Travis Kelce opted against retirement this offseason.

After the Chiefs were crushed 40-22 by the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59, Travis Kelce took some time to ponder his playing future. Many expected the 35-year-old to retire after a down season (97 catches for 823 yards and three touchdowns), but Kelce decided to sign up for (at least) another year.

During an appearance on the “REVOLT Sports” podcast with former NFL wide receivers Brandon Marshall, Mike Sims-Walker and Josh Bellamy, Rashee Rice revealed the powerful message he delivered to Kelce that convinced the future Hall of Famer to return in 2025.

“I ain’t gonna lie to y’all, I’m 95% of the reason he ain’t retiring,” Rice said. “Told him he can’t go out like that. I’m gonna make sure we get that next year.”

Challenge accepted by Kelce.

The Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game to reach their third straight Super Bowl. However, their bid to become the first team to win three straight Lombardi Trophies ended in ugly fashion.

Patrick Mahomes was sacked six times, lost a fumble and threw two interceptions (including a pick-six to Cooper DeJean) in an 18-point loss. Travis Kelce was a non-factor in the game, catching just four passes for 39 yards.

It had to be extra painful for Rice to watch from the sidelines, as he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers. If Rice was able to play in the Super Bowl, perhaps KC would have made it a game instead of relying entirely on Xavier Worthy in the passing game.

Travis Kelce Made The Right Decision

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in uniformTravis Kelce (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)
Regardless of if you think Kelce can still be a game-changer or not, it’s hard to argue against his decision to play another year. An all-time great and fiery competitor like Kelce has too much pride to let arguably the most devastating loss of his NFL career mark his final game.

Kelce usually saves his best for the postseason. An offense with Mahomes, Worthy, Kelce and Rice makes Kansas City the team to beat in the AFC.