The Kansas City Chiefs are in the Super Bowl for the fifth time in six years. They will be in New Orleans on Feb. 9 to face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, they’ll be looking for a third straight victory, something no other NFL team has ever accomplished.
Tight end Travis Kelce joined the Chiefs back in 2013when they selected him in the third round. By the following season, Kelce was their leading receiver.
Now in his 12th season with the Chiefs, Kelce is a four-time First-Team All-Pro and 10-time Pro Bowler who has shattered records and helped the team to all five of their Super Bowls and all three of their victories (LIV, LVII, and LVII). As he chases another Super Bowl victory, will that be enough of a career to finally call it quits?
What Travis Kelce said about retirement
Kelce has not said whether or not he plans to retire after the 2024 season, and it seems that he has not even been able to make the decision. On January 15, he said that his opinion “changes every single day”.
Heading into this season, Kelce signed a two-year extension for $34.25 millionmaking him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL. Despite a slow start to the season and whispers that the 35-year-old had passed his prime, Kelce was setting franchise records by Week 4 and NFL records by the December.
“I love everything that I’m doing in this building, but at the end of the day, I’m not having that extreme success on the field as I have individually,” Kelce said. “I’ll reevaluate it like I always do, and I’ll probably tell myself how much I love this thing and I’ll come back next year.”
Kelce also said that his girlfriend, pop star Taylor Swift, has encouraged him to keep playing for as long as he’s still enjoying it.
“She loves coming to Arrowhead and coming to the games and cheering for me,” said Kelce. “So I got all the support in the world to keep chasing these dreams.”
At the same time, Kelce has hinted that retirement may be coming soon. Back in November 2023, Kelce told the Wall Street Journal that he would consider retirement due to the injuries he has sustained throughout his career.
“That’s the only thing I’ve never really been open about,” Kelce said. “The discomfort. The pain. The lingering injuries, the 10 surgeries I’ve had that I still feel every single surgery to this day.”
Before the start of this season, Kelce’s older brother and former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, told Travis that he would likely figure out whether or not he wants to retire this season. Jason Kelce retired at the end of the 2023 season after 13 years with the Eagles.
“This is when you’re going to start knowing, whenever this time comes, and you need to walk away,” Jason said. “(It’s) the fighting your body, like, you used to be able to do something you can’t do anymore. That’s when it’s like you’re fighting that, to continue to get that back. That’s when it starts to become hard. Bottom line is everyone knows when it’s time for them.”
Travis has since admitted that he’s nearing “the end of the road” in his NFL career, but that he wants to have something else lined up for when he retires. After he and the Chiefs played the Browns in Cleveland this season, he told his brother on their “New Heights” podcast that he felt like he was “giving it one last hurrah before I’m done” because “I don’t know if it’s the last time I’ll ever play in Cleveland”. The Kelce brothers grew up in Cleveland so it holds nostalgia for them both.
As Travis now gets ready to face the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, a win could be the difference in whether or not he retires after this season. His older brother, whom he played against back in Super Bowl LVII just two years ago, said he feels “torn”.
“I wanna be there for the Eagles, but I also wanna be there for my brother,” said Jason Kelce. “I don’t know how many more he has. So we’re kind of flying by the seat of our pants. We might be able to see both of us here again hopefully.”
Related stories
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverageright at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
