Over the offseason, Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce signed a new contract with the team that made him the highest-paid tight end in the league. It was a pretty clear signal that Kelce was not ready to retire, but it sounds like he has changed his mind in that regard.
During a recent appearance on “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” Travis Kelce admitted that he has since changed his mind a bit and is now a bit more interested in considering retirement.
Kelce went as far as to say that he planned to “re-evaluate” his decision on retirement following the season.
“I love everything that I’m doing … but at the end of the day, I’m not having that extreme success on the field,” Kelce said on the show. “I’m excited for these next couple of games … to finish this season off. I’ll re-evaluate it like I always do.”
But Kelce admits that it’s still likely that he would decide to return to the Kansas City Chiefs next season.
“I’ll probably tell myself how much I love this thing, and I’ll come back next year,” Kelce said.
Of course, Kelce would have several very legitimate reasons to walk away from the game as he could choose to focus on his budding acting career and his superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift. Additionally, his on-field performance has been slipping, too.
Kelce wrapped up the regular season with the lowest statistical output of his career since becoming a starter in the league, with his receiving numbers declining across almost every category.
The standout tight end posted fewer yards per game, yards per reception, and yards after the catch, recorded a shorter average depth of target, and scored fewer touchdowns this season than in any prior campaign.
We’ll have to see whether or not he chooses to retire following this season. But it’s clear that he is at least considering it.
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