As Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs prepare for their Super Bowl LIX showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles, there is a real possibility that Kelce could be preparing for the final game of his storied NFL career.
Before the season, Travis Kelce signed a new deal with the Chiefs that runs through the 2026 season which made him the highest-paid tight end in the league. However, he has not lived up to that contract this season.
This season, the star tight end has seen his receiving stats fall across the board this season, including fewer yards per game, yards per reception, and yards after the catch, with a shorter average depth of target and fewer touchdowns compared to any previous year.
As a result of this decline in production, Kelce has not ruled out the possibility of retiring from the NFL after this season.
During a recent appearance on The Stephen A. Smith Show, Travis Kelce admitted that his performance this season hasn’t been up to his usual standards as he confirmed that retirement is a real possibility after 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 shared 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.”
That being said, Kelce still seems likely to return to the Kansas City Chiefs next season.
During his press conference on Monday, Kelce made it clear that he is currently planning to return next season, but still left the door open for retirement, adding that he will “see what happens.”
“Hopefully still playing football,” he said according to ESPN. “I love doing this, I love coming into work every day. I feel like I still have a lot of good football left in me. We’ll see what happens. I know I’ve been setting myself up for other opportunities in my life. That’s always been the goal knowing football only lasts for so long. You have to find a way to get into another career and another profession. I’ve been doing that in my offseason. But for the most part, I plan on being a Kansas City Chief and playing football.”
If Kelce does decide to retire, however, he will still be quite busy as he steps into his budding career as an actor. He will also have more time for his relationship with pop sensation Taylor Swift.
