What Jason Kelce Actually Thinks About Travis Kelce Retiring From the NFL
Travis Kelce’s future in the NFL is up for debate — and now his older brother, Jason Kelce, is adding fuel to the retirement rumors.
Speculation intensified after the Kansas City Chiefs were knocked out of Super Bowl contention following a Dec. 14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, marking the team’s first missed playoff run in a decade. The disappointing season has many wondering if Travis, who has previously admitted he often thinks about retiring, could be ready to step away from football. At 36, he’s older than the average NFL retirement age, and he’s also had a front-row seat to his brother Jason’s seemingly fulfilling life since retiring from the league in 2024.
While Jason didn’t reveal what Travis plans to do next, he admitted he’s “curious” about what his younger brother is thinking — and encouraged him to take his time before making any big decisions.
“In my opinion, to nail that decision, you’ve got to step away from the game for a little bit,” Jason said during a Dec. 15 appearance on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.
The Chiefs still have a few regular-season games left, despite being out of the Super Bowl race, and Jason urged Travis to treat them as meaningful moments — regardless of what the future holds.
“Play these last three games, enjoy them with your teammates, enjoy that with your coaches,” Jason said. “The team’s going to be different whether you come back or not next year. So, enjoy these last three games and then let it sink in. It’ll come to you with time.”
Jason also noted that emotions tend to run high immediately after a tough season, especially one filled with ups and downs, making it difficult to think clearly about long-term decisions.
“There’s so many emotions with this game right after a season, especially with the way this one’s been,” he explained. “It’s been so up and down … They’ve been close and right now, it’s too fresh. You got to step away from it, you got to think about it. Then, it’ll come to you.”
While many of Travis’ friends have said that he “lives in the moment,” the star athlete has been candid about how often retirement crosses his mind. In a 2023 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Travis admitted the physical toll of football weighs heavily on him.
“That’s the only thing I’ve never really been open about,” he said. “The discomfort. The pain. The lingering injuries—the 10 surgeries I’ve had that I still feel every single surgery to this day.”