Is Travis Kelce Planning to Retire From NFL? Teases Future
Travis Kelce has had 12 stellar seasons in the NFL but is getting to an age where fans are wondering when he’s going to call it quits. The Kansas City Chiefs star has revealed his retirement plans and what the future holds for him.
Is Travis Kelce Retiring From the NFL?
Not anytime soon. “Whoever’s not thinking about stuff down the road, I blame you,” he joked reporters at a January 11, 2024, news conference ahead of the Chiefs playoff game against the Miami Dolphins before getting down to business.
“I have no reason to stop playing football,” Travis declared. “I love it, we still have success, come in with the right mindset. I just love the challenge that it gives me every single day to try and be my best. Like I said, I have no desire to stop anytime soon.”
With that said, there is one thing that would make Travis retire early: Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid’s retirement. The tight end said on the February 14, 2024, episode of his “New Heights” podcast with brother Jason Kelce that he refused to play football for anyone but Andy.
“If he calls it quits this year, I’m out there with him, man,” Travis said.
What Has Travis Kelce Said About His Plans Outside of Football?
Hosting Saturday Night Live in March 2023 opened up the Ohio native to goals outside of athletics.
“That’s the point of the offseason. Being able to get out there and really find what you love to do, and I’ve been fortunate to do a few things outside of the sports world that I’ve been enjoying doing, like getting on camera,” Travis told reporters.
“The SNL stuff kinda opened up a new happiness and maybe a new career path for me, but it’s funny for me to even say that at this point in my career because it’s so much further down the road than it is right now,” he added.
What Has Travis Kelce Previously Said About Retirement?
The athlete worried fans when he said that he thinks about retiring from the NFL “more than anyone could ever imagine,” during a November 2023 interview with The Wall Street Journal, citing the physical toll the sport takes on his body.
“That’s the only thing I’ve never really been open about,” Travis added. “The discomfort. The pain. The lingering injuries — the 10 surgeries I’ve had that I still feel every single surgery to this day.”
Travis was realistic about how his playing days will be coming to an end during the December 18, 2024, episode of his “New Heights” podcast, sharing how the Chiefs playing the Browns in his hometown of Cleveland the weekend prior was possibly his “last” time doing so.
“I just love that city, man. It was so fun. When we flew in, I felt like a tour guide. I was telling everybody every single city that we were going past, every monument, every building.”
“Silly memories … were going in and out of my mind. And it felt so surreal,” he told brother Jason Kelce. “I don’t know if it’s the last time I’ll ever play in Cleveland, but it kinda felt like I was just giving it one last hurrah before I’m done because I’ve only played there twice in 12 years.”
When Did Travis Kelce Start Playing in the NFL?
Travis was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft after playing collegiate football at the University of Cincinnati. He has played every season since with the team and has become one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, breaking numerous records and helping the team win three Super Bowls.