Calls Mount For Travis Kelce to Retire After Chiefs TE Injured Xavier Worthy

Retirement talks around Travis Kelce were already swirling ever since his engagement with Taylor Swift. Rumors hinted he might call it quits after the upcoming season. Although Kelce himself has stayed silent on the matter, fans haven’t. Now, after Week 1’s drama, that conversation isn’t just speculation anymore—it’s turning into a demand.

What sparked the fire was an early mishap in the season opener. On a third-down pass, second-year wideout Xavier Worthy collided with Kelce on a crossing route. Worthy bore the brunt of the contact, his right shoulder taking the hit before he dropped hard to the turf. Just ten minutes into the first quarter, he was already on his way to the locker room, leaving Chiefdom in shock.

Then, the sight on the sidelines only deepened concerns. Cameras caught the medical staff surrounding Worthy, focusing on that right shoulder. His frustration was obvious as he left the field escorted by trainers. And before fans could hold out hope for a quick return, the official update sealed it—Worthy was ruled out for the rest of the night.

Furthermore, the rookie’s trip straight to the X-ray room made things even heavier for the City of Fountains. Sure, the Chiefs still had a stacked WR room with Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jason Brownlee, Tyquan Thornton, and Nikko Remigio. But losing Worthy this early? That was a major blow, especially against a divisional rival like the Chargers.

Ultimately, the context makes the frustration more understandable. Worthy had a standout rookie year in 2024—59 catches, 638 yards, six scores, plus another 104 yards and three TDs rushing. With that kind of production, Chiefdom had every reason to count on him as a difference-maker. So when he went down in a collision with Kelce, the blame game felt inevitable.

Chiefdom blasts Kelce after Xavier Worthy’s injury

The backlash from the Chiefdom came quickly and fiercely. Many pointed fingers directly at Travis Kelce, accusing him of making a reckless play that sidelined one of his own teammates. One angry fan didn’t hold back, posting on X, “Travis Kelce injuring his teammate for a month is a great start to his retirement tour.” Now, while there’s no medical update confirming Worthy will actually miss a month, that statement perfectly summed up the frustration boiling inside fans who watched the moment unfold live.

Not only that, some supporters stretched the criticism beyond Kelce and pulled Patrick Mahomes into the storm. Comparing this hit to another unfortunate moment, one fan wrote, “Last year Mahomes took out Rice playing against the Charges. This year, Kelce takes out Worthy playing the Chargers.” The comparison might feel exaggerated, but it shows how quickly fans can connect the dots when emotions run high—especially in the City of Fountains.

Then, conspiracy theories started piling up. One fan chimed in with, “He’s washed so he takes out our WR1 to get a few more targets. Disgusting.” While another user bluntly commented, “Kelce can retire already. 🤬” However, the chatter didn’t stop with football talk. Even Taylor Swift found herself dragged into the chaos.

One fan half-jokingly wrote, “Taylor Swift said she was running around in excitement after the Chiefs drafted Worthy, so Kelce had to take matters into his own hands.” That’s a wild comment! On the New Heights podcast, Swift herself admitted, “I became a person who was running through the halls of my house screaming, ‘We drafted Xavier Worthy,’ and my friends were like, ‘Who body snatched you?’… I was screeching. I couldn’t believe it.” She wasn’t hiding her admiration for Worthy’s talent, which makes this injury sting even more for fans.

In the end, what makes all this chatter sting the hardest is what the Chiefs actually lose without Worthy. In his rookie year, he set the NFL Combine record with a 4.21-second 40-yard dash, breaking John Ross’ mark from 2017. That speed showed up in the biggest moment—February’s Super Bowl—when he sprinted past defenders to snag a 50-yard touchdown from Mahomes. For Chiefdom, that kind of deep threat changes games, and that’s why they’re desperately hoping his return comes sooner rather than later.