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Travis Kelce Congratulates Seahawks TE AJ Barner After Super Bowl LX Victory
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- Travis Kelce Congratulates Seahawks TE AJ Barner After Super Bowl LX Victory
Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs missed the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2021 NFL season, ending the 2025 campaign with a 6-11 record. The team also failed to reach the playoffs, only the second time this has occurred in Kelce's 13-year NFL career.
With the offseason now underway, the NFL world is waiting to see whether Kelce will return for a 14th season or call it a career. Still, the former Cincinnati Bearcats tight end showed he has plenty left at age 36, recording 76 catches for 851 yards and five touchdowns while earning his 11th Pro Bowl selection.
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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87).Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Even though Kelce and the Chiefs were not a part of Super Bowl LX, the tight end still made his way to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, to watch Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks take down Drake Maye and the New England Patriots 29-13. The game was a defensive battle, with zero touchdowns scored in the first three quarters.
Sunday's game also marked the first Super Bowl appearance for Seahawks tight end AJ Barner . The former Michigan standout was among the many players who attended Tight End University in 2025, the annual Nashville event for NFL tight ends hosted by Kelce, the 49ers ' George Kittle and former NFL star Greg Olsen .
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Barner finished Super Bowl LX with four catches for 54 yards, including the first touchdown of the game, a 16-yard pass from Darnold early in the fourth quarter. And early Monday morning, following Seattle's win, Barner celebrated by sharing a post on Instagram.
"PREPARATION AND OPPORTUNITY 🧟♂️ - Blessed to be a Seahawk #12s #SBLX," Barner wrote.
Shortly after Barner made his post, Kelce had a response to his fellow tight end, congratulating the Seahawks star in the comments: "Congrats big dawg!!! 🏆🔥"
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Now, preparation for the 2026 NFL season has officially begun, and the Chiefs will hope to return to the Super Bowl a year from now. But they have some more work to do in the offseason as they await Kelce's retirement decision.
Related: Chiefs Announce 17th Consecutive Event After Super Bowl
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
