Speculation about Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce's retirement is at an all-time high, with a decision date looming.
Speaking with his brother, former Eagles centre Jason Kelce, on their podcast New Heights, Travis Kelce addressed the pressing question hanging over his career in the wake of the Super Bowl.
“I know everybody wants to know whether I am playing next year and right now I am just kicking everything down the road. I am kicking every can I can down the road,” said Kelce, who has been with the Chiefs since 2013.
“The fact that we keep going to these AFC Championships and Super Bowls, that means I'm playing an extra three games more than everybody else in the entire league. That's a lot of wear and tear on your body.
“It's a lot of time in the building … That process can be gruelling. It can weigh on you. It can make you better and it can drive you crazy.
“Right now, it was one of those things where it was driving me crazy this year. It happens as you tail off towards the back nine of your career.”
Kelce's decision will likely come before the new league year begins on March 12, as his contract includes a strategically timed $11.5 million roster bonus set to be paid out on March 14.
If Kelce retires, he will leave the game with five Super Bowl appearances, three championship wins, and a near-certain Hall of Fame induction - cementing his legacy as one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history.
However, the decision is far from final.
“Where will I be in three years? Oh man, I don't know. Hopefully still playing football,” Kelce said last week at Super Bowl media night.
“I love doing this, I love coming into work every day and I feel like I still got a lot of good football left in me, but we'll see what happens.”
In the Super Bowl, where the Chiefs were defeated 22-40 by a dominant Eagles team, Kelce fell short of his usual high standards, with missed catches and no receptions in the first half.
“I'm going to take some time to figure it out,” he said. “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 will have no trouble finding opportunities outside of football, as last year's off-season showed. His relationship with Taylor Swift has opened doors like never before, leading to him hosting the game show Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity, acting in Ryan Murphy's Grotesque series, and making a cameo in the upcoming Happy Gilmore 2.
Also over the off-season, the New Heights podcast with his brother secured a lucrative $100 million deal with Amazon's Wondery.
