Rashee Rice didn't want Travis Kelce to go anywhere (and did something about it) | OneFootball

After the green and black confetti fell to celebrate the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl 59 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, the big story in Kansas City (and truthfully, in the NFL as well) became what would happen with Travis Kelce? Would the long-time Chiefs tight end continue playing for the team that drafted him in the third round over a decade ago or call it a career?

While Kelce ultimately ended up deciding to return for at least one more year, it didn't seem like it was going to go in that direction before the decision was made. Rashee Rice recently made a comment that made it sound as though he played a major part in Kelce coming back.

While appearing on Revolt Sports, Rice was asked why he thinks Kelce is the OG. He responded that he played a role in Kelce ultimately deciding to return.

"Well, for one, I ain't gonna lie to y'all. Ninety-five percent of the reason he ain't retired... Told him he can't go out like that," Rice said. "He was thinking of hanging it up. I was pretty sure he was gonna hang it up and I'm like, 'Bro, you can't go out like that'."

Rashee Rice says he told Travis Kelce he couldn't retire with Super Bowl 59 as his last game

Kelce played an uninspiring game in Super Bowl 59 but then again, so did the majority of the Chiefs roster in an eventual blowout loss. It did come out weeks later that Kelce was battling an illness the week leading up to the game so that likely added to the list of reasons why the tight end didn't look like he cared to be there any longer than he had to.

Rice's conversation here is interesting though. He seems pretty sure that he was the reason Kelce opted not to hang up the cleats and keep playing, urging Kelce to come back and not go out the way he and the Chiefs did in Super Bowl 59.

Rice said he texted Kelce and the tight end responded that he really appreciated Rice reaching out to him.

"I seen [Kelce's decision to not retire] pop up on the media and I said, 'All right now' ... he said 'Let's go, running it back!'"