Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce isn’t sure if he is going to return to the NFL for his 13th season in 2025. After conflicting reports emerged about the all-time tight end great’s status before Super Bowl LIX, he has since addressed the prospect of a potential retirement.
“I know everybody wants to know whether or not I’m playing next year. Right now, I’m just kicking everything down the road.” said Kelce on his New Heights podcast after the Super Bowl (via Around The NFL’s Nick Shook).
Kelce is entering the final season of his contract with the Chiefs and will count for $19.8MM against the salary cap. Most of that comes from a $11.5MM roster bonus due on March 15, per OverTheCap, setting up a potential deadline for his decision. Kelce, however, doesn’t seem to be in a rush.
“I think I’m gonna take some time to figure it out,” continued the 35-year-old tight end. “I think I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back, it’s going to be something that it’s a wholehearted decision.”
Kelce mentioned the “wear and tear” on his body over the last 12 years as a key consideration as he mulls his future. The 2013 third-round pick has proven to be a durable player throughout his career, appearing in at least 15 games for the last 11 seasons. His only major absence was due to knee surgery as a rookie; since then, Kelce has consistently played through minor injuries and ranks 26th among all active players in career starts.
The 10-time Pro Bowler also leads active players with 25 career playoff starts, something he alluded to on the podcast.
“I’ve been fortunate over the past five, six years, I’ve played more football than anybody,” said Kelce. “It’s because the people that are in that building and the fact that we keep going to these AFC championships, these Super Bowls, that means I’m playing an extra three games more than everybody else in the entire league.”
If Kelce elects to return, Kansas City may want to sign him to an extension to lower his 2025 cap hit. Such a deal would not signal that Kelce is committed to playing beyond 2025; it would simply be a way for the Chiefs to push more of his cap burden into the future.
Time to retire. HoF career, but he’s done.
He was a pro bowler this year lol
Many old timers get that honor. Deservedly so.
Pro bowl is a popularity contest…means nothing and he is dating someone very famous.
All Pros is what actually counts.
He had 97 catches, yeah he’s not the best at his position anymore but he’s still definitely a well above average TE.
How is he “done” in your opinion when he was voted to the pro bowl? lol
I have bad diarrhea today. Hope it goes away soon.
take a pic of it and make it your pfp
Okay, stand by.
Waiting….
It’s located at the top of this article. It’s TP dressed with the #87.
Meanwhile … ex-Chiefs/Browns/Giants WR Kadarius Toney arrested last week in Georgia, charged with allegedly strangling a woman and preventing her from calling 911. TMZ has the details.
Never have I been more happy to say the good guys won the Super Bowl.
He wants to drive the Swift tour bus full time now
Don’t know what Toney has to do with who’s the good guys.
Repeated champions can get boring, so I rooted for the Eagles too. But the Chiefs have great fans, a great stadium, an interesting offense, a lovable coach, and the fans had suffered one heartbreak after another for 5 decades. They ain’t the Belichick Patriots!!
Get the interest in a fresh flavor, but don’t get the hate.
“I think I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back, it’s going to be something that it’s a wholehearted decision.” …..exactly what the hell does that mean….the only thing his teammates care about in the locker room is whether his play can contribute to them winning the SB….other than that…..this sounds like a I’ll play of you extend me strategy vs maybe the networks will offer me a fat broadcast job…..then I’ll decide…..he can’t play the “what best for my family card” as his potential partner is worth $$$Billions…..
It means he doesn’t want to return if he’s not 100% into it. He doesn’t want to waste his teammates time and money if he’s not committed all the way.
Wasting his teammates time and money?…..doesn’t exactly sound right….his teammates care most about winning, money, and the money that winning brings them in that order…..these days teammates come and go and the guy on the opposing team may your be on your team and your bestie next year……him being committed is a personal decision that of course affects his teammates and the team until/if they can replace him with the newer and better version…..
Take your time sir.
You’ve helped me to multiple dynasty championships but Father Time is undefeated so I’ve had McBride the past two seasons … so I’m good at TE1 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
He’s got to hang on for 5 more years and then he can replace Marcedes Lewis in Chicago 🙂
Kelce could hang on as a decently valuable possession receiver, but he definitely looks like he’s worn down a lot. Which is only fair. The man has only missed a few games since his rookie season over a decade ago, he played over 80% of his team’s offensive snaps in all but two seasons, and he’s played 25 playoff games. That’s a huge amount of football for a primary target to play.
He has managed to avoid major injuries that knock him out for weeks. It won’t get easier when he gets another year older. He is making plenty off the field, the 3peat failed. He is still considered. Their best offensive target so he will continue to be hit, if this was a loaded team where he has a limited role sure but that ain’t the case. Most go out losing.
But then what will TayTay do with her Sundays if he retires?
They’ll spend weekends at her $25,000,000 home in Rhode Island.
Flying around the world in her private jet while reminding us to save the planet.
She can keep playing “dress up” with Travis. She did a wonderful job on SB Sunday with his “attire”.
Ruin people’s lives with a cooking show and/or TikTok.
He’s had a great career. Retire and enjoy the next chapter in life.
His next chapter is as Mr. Swift…..and other than maybe a podcast or gig as an announcer…thats about it….don’t exactly think the networks will come calling very fast either unless they’re trolling for Taylor news first…..
Going to be pretty easy to avoid as a football only fan. Pretty much won’t see or hear from them unless they show up for KC primetime games to watch.
It’s called ‘Only Fans’…
Travis Kelce is exactly the type of player networks throw stacks of cash at to talk about football on Sundays. Although probably not as much as he can make playing a season or two more (so I think that’s what he’ll do). If he wanted to, I could see him broadening out to non-football talk as well, like Nate Burleson and Michael Strahan. The sky is the limit for Travis.
Good! Goodbye!
This is a unique and crushing loss. The Patriots back in ’07 didn’t bounce back to the Super Bowl and they lost by a helmet. The Chiefs had a lot of questionable games this year…Kelce isn’t going to come back into this next year unless they think they can do it AND if he’s still got the mots.
He was a Top 5 TE last year, so you start there. He’s not going to get better…This could be it. He knows it.
His storybook was probably thinking they really could, would, and should 3-peat and they got schooled – hard. Not beaten, but dropped and clocked. Their numbers and time of possession reminded me of the first Super Bowl I ever watched as a Broncos fan at age ten thinking if this is the Super Bowl you can drink your own gatorade.
Run it back?! Heh, okaaay…
He can give it another year but I think the Chiefs odds for next year are going to be overflow and overvalued unless they make some major signings.
I’m so sick of the Kelces. I couldn’t care less about the Taylor Swift thing, she really doesn’t bother me but I’m tired of seeing the Kelces everywhere. But Travis will go into broadcasting or analysis like his brother….who really sucks at it so I guess I’m not going to get away from it. Tired of their mother too.
They cant be as bad as Brady ….right?
I suspect he will retire, not because he is not capable of playing, but he is now doing TV Shows, Movies, Major PodCast, etc….
I really don’t think his heart is into being totally focused on keeping his body in world class condition.
My guess is he moves on to becoming a family man with a very active role in raising his family…since his future wife is a career woman.
What tv shows and movies? He has a podcast, famous girlfriend ( who will probably dump him when he retires because he’s such cling-on) and he’s commercial appeal is football and Taylor, both of which will be gone.
Original question: what tv shows and movies?
Travis has had an outstanding career. He’ll be a HOF when that times comes. No doubt a well paying gig with a network. Personally, not a KC fan. Great team and organization no doubt. But I’m done seeing Travis, Patrick, Andy, Taylor, Brittany and the Kelce mom. They are all over. During games, post game\pregame, commercials and on various sports networks. It’s overwhelming with this cast of characters. If your a KC fan I would believe you’re ok with that and that’s cool. Thankfully the Eagles won. And hopefully this tones down the Chiefs euphoria.
This doofus makes my embarrassed to be a former Bearcat player.
Old, fat and slow aint no way to go through life son.
Did swift break up with him yet? She only dates SB winners
Chiefs need to move on
Did you see his “blocking” this year?….shied away from contact….
Mr. Swift may want to go on tour with the Misses. She may need an assistant dresser or a makeup person. He won’t lack for work. Maybe she’ll let him go out with the boys once in a while or go get a coffee with his former coach. They can scrape by on what she makes.