Chiefs’ Travis Kelce reveals when he’ll retire
Travis Kelce‘s star has never shone brighter. The future Hall-of-Famer not only continues staking his claim as the greatest tight end ever while leading the Kansas City Chiefs‘ ongoing dynasty alongside Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, but also emerged as a global celebrity in the past calendar due to his relationship with pop icon Taylor Swift.
No player in the NFL is more famous than Kelce right now. His New Heights podcast with brother Jason Kelce continues to be a wild success, and the 34-year-old is set to host Amazon Prime’s revamped version of popular game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader before the 2024 season kicks off.
Kelce, it’s become abundantly clear by now, will remain in the public eye once his playing days are over. Despite his advanced age and nearly unprecedented level of individual and team success with the Chiefs, though, he has no plans to hang up his cleats soon.
In wake of signing a new contract that makes him the highest-paid tight end in football and will keep him in Kansas City for at least the next two seasons, Kelce addressed his potential timeline for retirement on Tuesday while meeting with reporters at Chiefs OTAs.
“I really can’t put a timeframe on [retirement]. I love coming to work every single day. I know there’s opportunities for me outside of football,” he said, per Nate Taylor of The Athletic. “I’m going to keep going until the wheels fall off. Hopefully, that doesn’t happen anytime soon.”
Jason Kelce, two years Travis’ senior, announced his retirement in March after a stellar career with the Philadelphia Eagles. Travis Kelce was in the room for Jason’s heartwarming farewell press conference, wiping away tears as his brother described just how much football changed his life.
Kelce earned his ninth straight Pro Bowl selection last season, fighting through nagging injuries and frequent double-teams to finish with 93 catches for 984 yards and four touchdowns. He took his game to new heights, pun intended, in the playoffs, hauling in 33 of 37 targets en route to 355 yards and three touchdowns while helping Kansas City win its second consecutive Super Bowl.
The Chiefs are vying to become the first team since Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers in the mid-1960s to win three consecutive Super Bowls. Though the team lost star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed in free agency, Kansas City brings back all of its other key contributors from last season’s roster, also adding veteran pass-catcher Hollywood Brown in free agency and rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy—who blazed to a 4.21 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, the fastest time ever recorded at the event—in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Travis Kelce and the Chiefs open the 2024 campaign against the Baltimore Ravens on September 5th at Arrowhead Stadium. With more viable offensive weapons around them and a defense that again figures to be among the league’s best, don’t be surprised if Reid, Mahomes and Kelce once again lead Kansas City on another deep playoff run come January.
Jack Winter is a veteran NBA writer and editor covering the Golden State Warriors for ClutchPoints. Residing in Oakland, Jack went to Butler University and has bylines at Bleacher Report, Dime Mag, and Sports Illustrated.