Chiefs’ Travis Kelce on Future: ‘Can’t Put a Time Stamp on How Long I’ll Play’

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce admitted that retirement is “something that you gotta think about” when speaking to reporters on Monday, although it doesn’t appear that he’s planning on stepping away from the game anytime soon.

“I can’t imagine not doing this for as long as I can, because I know I’ll miss it when it’s all said and done,” Kelce said. “I can’t put a time stamp on how long I’ll play, but I know I’m loving every single bit of coming into work right now.”

The 34-year-old has 159 regular-season games under his belt since he was drafted with a third-round pick in 2013, putting together one of the greatest careers by a tight end in NFL history.

Kelce has racked up 11,328 receiving yards in the regular season, ranking No. 38 on the league’s all-time receiving yards list and No. 4 among tight ends. He surpassed 11,000 yards during the Chiefs’ Week 12 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, becoming the fastest tight end to achieve the milestone.

Kelce’s production decreased slightly in 2023, as he averaged just 65.6 yards per game and failed to surpass 1,000 yards for the first time since 2015. Although his regular season play was a step back relative to the rest of his career, his 983 yards were still the most of any tight end in the NFL while he started just 15 games.

His postseason production could also be taking a toll on him physically, as Kelce has 21 playoff appearances throughout his career. He’ll have a chance to earn his third championship on Sunday in Super Bowl 58, so it’s difficult to imagine him walking away from a Kansas City squad that has been one of the most successful teams in the sport over the past decade.

Kelce has acknowledged that he’s thought about retirement when speaking to reporters on Jan. 11 although he added that he has “no reason to stop playing football,” according to Sports Illustrated’s Jordan Foote.