At 34 years old, with three Super Bowl rings and 11 seasons of some Hall of Fame career under his belt, Travis Kelce has little left to accomplish as a football player.
No one could reasonably blame him for contemplating retirement. But he still has too much fun.
Kelce addressed the final stage of his career and the prospect of retirement when speaking to the media Tuesday from the start of Kansas City Chiefs minicamp. He said he won’t resign anytime soon.
“I can’t set a deadline,” Kelce told reporters. “I love coming to work every day. Obviously, I know there are opportunities outside of football for me. You have to keep in perspective that I’m still a little kid when I walk into this building.
“I know I’m 34 and I’m about to turn 35. But I love doing this right here in the middle of the June heat. I love coming to work every day and doing this. I’m doing it until the wheels fall off.” and I hope that doesn’t happen anytime soon.”
Travis Kelce: “I’m still a little kid when I walk into this building.” He says he loves this, even in the middle of June. As for the ‘mileage’ on his body, he says, “Use me, baby!” #Bosses pic.twitter.com/1pOuxbUnJT
-Harold R. Kuntz (@HaroldRKuntz3) June 11, 2024
Kelce’s “wheels fall off” approach is not new. He He said the same thing at Chiefs minicamp. last summer.
A lot has changed since then. Kelce’s brother and future Hall of Famer, Jason Kelce, announced his retirement when he was at the top of his game. Kelce won a third Super Bowl catching passes from Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs signed Kelce to a lucrative raise through the 2025 season, making him the highest-paid tight end in football.
And, of course, his personal life has taken a very public turn alongside Taylor Swift. This, along with the podcast she co-hosts with Jason and any number of media and business opportunities she will have to choose from, give her a lot to consider post-football, as does the physical toll the game takes on her body. .
But Kelce doesn’t seem to care about the latter. In fact, Tuesday actively welcomed that “wear and tear.”
“Wear me down, baby,” Kelce continued. “I’m ready for it. Put the burden on me. I love being responsible for the men and women in this building and in the Chiefs kingdom. I love the aspect of everyone counting on me to try to make that play for the team “.
Kelce’s production regressed last season. But he remained an elite player at the position, with 93 receptions for 984 yards and five touchdowns in the regular season. He caught nine passes for 93 yards in the Super Bowl.
The glory of football is fleeting. But there’s nothing better than being a star receiver in a Super Bowl dynasty. With the Chiefs set to compete for the foreseeable future, Kelce is understandably unwilling to give that up. There is a lot to get away from.