kansas city chiefs stars Travis Kelce Having secured his place as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, that doesn’t mean he’s ready to give up on his NFL career.
“I know I’m 34 and about to be 35, but I love doing it in the heat of June,” Kelce said before the Chiefs’ 2024 June minicamp. “I love coming to work every day and doing this.”
The average retirement age for NFL players is 27.6, according to a study by RBC Wealth Management, but Kelce added that he plans to continue playing football “until the wheels fall off.”
Travis’ brother, Jason KelceTwo years older, he retired from the Philadelphia Eagles at the end of the 2023 season, setting the example of a graceful exit. During a June 2024 episode of the “New Heights” podcast, Jason imparted some retirement wisdom to his brother.
Jason Kelce has been a part of the Philadelphia Eagles offense for more than a decade, but he’s realistic about retirement before officially stepping down in March 2024. Kelce was drafted in 2011 and became the first rookie in Hawks history to start all 16 regular season games at center. he […]
“That’s when you start to know that whenever it comes, you need to walk away,” Jason said. “[It’s] Fight your body like you were once able to do something you can’t do now. It’s like you’re fighting against it then, continuing to take it back. That’s when things start to get difficult. The most important thing is that everyone knows when the time is right for them. “
Unlike Jason, who shares daughters Wyatt, Elliot and Bennett with his wife, there’s no family component to Travis’ retirement timeline Kelly Kells ——But he and taylor swift. Travis and Swift announced their engagement in August 2025, and the couple’s romance is as strong as their respective careers.
“I love having Taylor here to support me and enjoy the game with my family and friends,” Travis said during a January 2024 appearance. The Pat McAfee Show.
Keep scrolling to see everything Kelce had to say about his NFL retirement plans, or lack thereof:
April 2023
Travis told Bleacher Report that he’s “not thinking too much” about retirement.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have been all anyone can talk about since they got married in 2023. Their 2025 engagement, just weeks before Taylor Swift released her album “The Life of a Showgirl” (which contains numerous references to Kelce’s work), made them an even bigger topic. Swift and Kelce first connected in […]
“I absolutely love what I’m doing and I love doing it in Kansas City,” he said. “I don’t even want to think about putting a time limit on this. My body still feels good and I still feel like I can help the Kansas City Chiefs win. The most important thing is, it’s a blast to get in the building every day.”
June 2023
During Chiefs minicamp, Travis reiterated his desire to continue playing football.
“I love this game,” he continued. “I know I’m going to miss it when I’m done playing. … I think it’s important that I can make a living playing games when I’m 33, 34 years old – you know, I don’t want to lose that. I don’t want to lose the excitement of the game as a kid.”
November 2023
The athlete admitted in an interview that the injury prompted him to consider retirement “more than anyone thought”. wall street journal.
“That’s the only thing I’ve never really made public,” he said. “The discomfort, the pain, the lingering pain – I’ve had 10 surgeries and I still feel that with every surgery to this day.”
January 2024
“There’s no reason for me to stop playing football,” Travis told reporters at a news conference. He noted that opportunities like March 2023 saturday night live Hosting the show gave him a glimpse of his future, but he wasn’t ready to leave his first love.
“I’m lucky enough to be able to do some of the things I love outside of the sports world, like being on camera,” he explains. “this saturday night live These are things that have opened up new happiness and new career paths for me, but it’s interesting for me to say that at this point in my career because I think it’s going to be further than it is right now. “
June 2024
During a press conference, Travis said he doesn’t plan to retire “any time soon” and said he “really can’t put a timetable on exiting the NFL.”
“I’ll keep doing this until the wheels fall off,” he said. “I can definitely understand that this is the end of the road. [more] Than it started. I just have to make sure I’m ready for the game after football as well. “
Travis added that he still gets a lot of joy from his NFL career.
“I love coming to work every day,” he said. “Obviously, I know there are opportunities outside of football. I think when I come to this building, you have to keep in mind that I’m still a little kid.”
January 2025
during an appearance The Stephen A. Smith Show, Travis denies he’s preparing to retire at girlfriend Swift’s insistence.
“She totally encouraged me to enjoy playing the game,” travis says. “She loves arrows [Stadium] Come to the games and cheer me on, so I have all the support in the world to keep chasing these dreams. “
February 2025
During the opening night of Super Bowl LIX on February 3, Kelce was asked about his expectations three years from now.
“Hopefully I can still play football,” Kelce told reporters. “I love doing it. I love coming to work every day. I feel like I still have a lot of good football in me.”
He added: “We’ll see what happens. I know I’m always ready for other opportunities in life. That’s always been my goal because I know football can only last so long.”
February 2025
“We haven’t played that bad all season,” a somber Kelce said after the Chiefs lost 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59.
Kelce did not address his career in brief comments to reporters.
when the chiefs quarterback patrick mahomes “I’ll let Travis make that decision,” he said when asked if he thought Kelce would return for another season.
Mahomes added: “He’s given a lot to this team and the NFL, and not only did he have me work with him, but he made me very happy.” [for] People came to watch. “
October 2025
Travis discusses his potential retirement in interview with ESPN Monday night countdown and his brother Jason.
“Man, I’m going to be lucky enough to be able to have fun with these guys year in and year out,” Travis said, adding, “Day in and day out, year in and year out. I just love working with these guys.”
November 2025
Travis shared his latest thoughts on his potential retirement plans, telling reporters in November that he would give the Kansas City Chiefs ample notice when the time comes.
“You know, seeing my brother go through this and seeing … how the league works and the season starting back up in April, I wanted to give the Chiefs a good chance to know if I was going to come back,” he said. “And vice versa. Like, whether they want me back or not, that’s one of the things I want to make a decision on before they get the draft pick and free agency opens up.”
He added, “I want to make a decision before they get the draft picks and free agency open to properly fill out the roster… all of which will be at the end of the season. I won’t think about it until then.”
