Travis Kelce’s 11th NFL season has been filled with retirement chatter, with questions — and reports — about when the Chiefs star might decide to end his career, but he keeps dropping hints about continuing to play into the foreseeable future.
In a bonus video of the “New Heights” podcast with his brother, and Eagles center, Jason Kelce, he said that the thrill of playoff games will continue drawing him back because it gets “you f–king excited, man.”
“I haven’t found something outside of football that’s going to challenge me like playoff football,” Kelce said. “And I don’t know if I’ll ever find that. And that’s one of the things that’ll make me play this game until the wheels fall off. I know that I get to accept these challenges and these difficult games, these difficult matchups, the question of whether or not we’ll prevail — and coming up big for the guys next to me.
“It’s an energy and an excitement that I haven’t found anywhere else in the world, and it’s something that I definitely cherish.”
Travis Kelce revealed that playoff football could keep him playing “until the wheels fall off.”Screengrab via YouTube
Kelce wasn’t specifically asked about retirement — the brothers were breaking down the Chiefs’ AFC Championship game against the Ravens on Sunday — on the podcast, but his comment followed a segment by former “Sunday Night Football” sideline reporter Michele Tafoya in an interview with CBS Sports, where she revealed that she thinks Kelce would join Jason in retirement.
Kelce also revealed in a Wall Street Journal interview published in November that he thinks about it “more than anyone could ever imagine.”
Given his relationship with Taylor Swift, that emerged as perhaps a telling hint for the nine-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro.
Before the Chiefs’ wild-card round game against the Dolphins, Kelce told reporters that “I just have no reason to stop playing football,” though.
“I love it,” he added. “We still have success. Come in with the right mindset, and I just love the challenge it gives me every single day to try to be at my best.”
Travis Kelce celebrates one of his two touchdowns against the Bills in the AFC divisional round.AP
He’d produced a down year, at least by his lofty standards and precedent, in 2023, compiling just 984 yards and five touchdowns as the entire Chiefs offense struggled to find a rhythm until the postseason.
But against the Dolphins, Kelce caught seven passes for 71 yards, and he added another five catches for 75 yards — and his first two touchdowns since Nov. 20 — in Kansas City’s victory against the Bills in the divisional round.
Travis Kelce has continued to push back against retirement rumors during his 11th NFL season.AP
Jason has also been involved in retirement speculation after the 36-year-old center and the Eagles lost to the Buccaneers in the wild-card round.
He reportedly told teammates in the locker room that he was retiring, according to ESPN, and the broadcast’s camera captured an emotional Kelce near the end of Philadelphia’s stunning loss.
What do you think? Post a comment.
But during a podcast episode later in the week, Kelce didn’t confirm his plans and instead said there’s too much emotion following those games to “fully grasp” and make a retirement decision.
He hasn’t announced anything since that point, either.
