Travis Kelce may have played his last game at Arrowhead Stadium on Christmas night. The Chiefs lost to the Denver Broncos, but the focus quickly moved away from the score.
Kansas City had nothing to play for. The Chiefs were already out of the playoff race. Patrick Mahomes is already injured, and Gardner Minshew is also out, so third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun started. Still, all eyes stayed on Kelce and what his future might hold.
Kelce showed a lot of emotion during the game. He looked moved during the national anthem. After the game ended, he did not leave right away. He stayed on the field, greeted fans, and took it all in. To many watching, it felt like a goodbye moment.
The issue started after the game as Kelce walked toward the locker room. When he reached the tunnel, a Chiefs staff member stepped in front of an Amazon Prime camera crew and physically stopped them from following him. The scene was captured live on the broadcast.
Fans noticed right away, and media members reacted quickly too. NFL reporter Chase Snyder said the same staffer did something similar after the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl. Snyder shared his reaction on X.
“This is a guy that loves his job and shutting down heartwarming moments in Chiefs history. And loves making enemies with Al Michaels,” Snyder wrote. Even Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit joked about it during the broadcast.
This is a guy that loves his job and shutting down heartwarming moments in Chiefs history. And loves making enemies with Al Michaels. pic.twitter.com/4KcP1gKeoQ
— Chase Snyder (@ChasingSnyder) December 26, 2025
Another fan posted video of the moment and wrote, “Two shoves by Chiefs moron.” Several users identified the staffer as Brian Shafar in the comments. The Chiefs did not comment on the incident during the broadcast.
Two shoves by Chiefs moron pic.twitter.com/PTOW3j7hZs
— Ryan O'Halloran (@ryanohalloran) December 26, 2025
Kelce later spoke with reporters and addressed the growing retirement talk. He confirmed that he has not made a final call. He said he plans to take his time.
“I’ve been just focused on trying to win football games, man,” Kelce said. “I’ll let that be a decision that I make with my family, friends, the Chiefs organization….when the time comes.”
Kelce also reflected on his early days at Arrowhead. He spoke about his rookie season and the energy in the stadium.
“You feel that the first game you go to,” Kelce said. “You feel the excitement. It was just a beautiful thing, man.”
The night ended quietly for Kelce. The reaction afterward was loud enough.