Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce says he has yet to make a decision on whether he will continue his NFL career after his team’s defeat in Sunday’s Super Bowl.
Before the Super Bowl, the 35-year-old repeatedly said he would play for the Chiefs in the 2025 season. But on the New Heights podcast he co-hosts with his brother, Jason, Kelce was more circumspect.
“I know everybody wants to know whether I’m playing next year and right now, I’m just kicking everything down the road. I’m kicking every can I can down the road. I’m not making any crazy decisions,” Kelce said.
“I’ve been fortunate over the past five, six years, I’ve played more football than anybody. It’s because of the people that are in that building. The fact that we keep going to these AFC championships and these 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 and it’s a lot of time spent in the building, focusing on your craft, focusing on the task at hand and every challenge that you set up for yourself.”
Kelce is already a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is a 10-time Pro Bowler, has the most postseason receptions of anyone in NFL history and the most career receiving yards of any Chiefs player. His four catches for 39 yards on Sunday gave him another NFL record: the most career Super Bowl receptions, overtaking Jerry Rice, the greatest receiver of all time. However, in 2024 he had the fewest receiving yards and touchdown receptions since his rookie season in 2013, when he appeared in only one game.
“As you see yourself or not feel yourself have the success you once had, it’s a tough pill to swallow,” said Kelce. “For that not to be there in the biggest moments, knowing your team’s counting on you, those are all extremely hard things … it’s just a tough reality.”
Kelce has several other interests outside football not least the New Heights podcast, which earned he and Jason a $100m deal. He said that he will return if he believes he can play football to the best of his abilities.
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“I think I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back, it’s going to be something that it’s a whole-hearted decision. Not half-assing it. I’m fully here for them and I think I could play. It’s just whether or not I’m motivated or it’s the best decision for me as a man, as a human and as a person to take on all of that responsibility,” he said.
