Kansas Metropolis Chiefs star Travis Kelce has already secured his legacy as one of many best tight ends of all time, however that doesn’t imply he’s able to stroll away from his NFL profession.
“I do know I’m 34 years outdated, about to be 35, however I’ve a love to do that proper right here in the midst of the warmth in June,” Kelce mentioned forward of the Chiefs’ minicamp session in June 2024. “I really like coming to work each single day and doing this.”
In keeping with a research by RBC Wealth Management, the typical retirement age for an NFL participant is 27.6 years outdated, however Kelce added that he plans to maintain enjoying soccer “till the wheels fall off.”
Travis’ brother, Jason Kelce, who is 2 years his senior, set an instance of a sleek exit when he retired from the Philadelphia Eagles on the finish of the 2023 season. Throughout a June 2024 episode of their “New Heights” podcast, Jason gave his brother some retirement wisdom.
Jason Kelce has been a fixture of the Philadelphia Eagles offense for greater than a decade, however he was reasonable in regards to the thought of retirement previous to formally stepping down in March 2024. Kelce was drafted in 2011, changing into the primary rookie in Eagles historical past to start out all 16 common season video games at middle. He […]
“That is whenever you’re going to start out realizing, each time this time comes, and you’ll want to stroll away,” Jason mentioned. “[It’s] the preventing your physique, like, you used to have the ability to do one thing you possibly can’t do anymore. That’s when it’s such as you’re preventing that, to proceed to get that again. That’s when it begins to grow to be onerous. Backside line is everybody is aware of when it’s time for them.”
Not like Jason, Travis doesn’t have a household to issue into his retirement timeline — Jason shares daughters Wyatt, Elliotte and Bennett with spouse Kylie Kelce — however he’s in a dedicated relationship with Taylor Swift. Travis and Swift announced their engagement in August 2025, and the couple’s romance goes as sturdy as their respective careers.
“I adore it when Taylor comes and helps me and enjoys the sport with the fam and associates,” Travis mentioned throughout a January 2024 look on The Pat McAfee Present.
Preserve scrolling to see all the pieces Kelce has mentioned about his NFL retirement plans, or lack thereof:
April 2023
Travis mentioned he “hadn’t put a lot thought into” retiring throughout an interview with Bleacher Report.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are all anybody can speak about since they received collectively in 2023. Their 2025 engagement, which got here weeks earlier than Swift launched her album The Lifetime of a Showgirl (that includes loads of references to Kelce), has made them an excellent greater subject of dialog. Swift and Kelce have been first linked in […]
“I completely love what I’m doing, I really like doing it right here in Kansas Metropolis,” he mentioned. “I don’t even need to take into consideration placing a time restrict on this. My physique nonetheless feels good, I nonetheless really feel like I may help the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs win. On prime of that, each single day is a blast coming into the constructing.”
June 2023
On the Chiefs minicamp, Travis reiterated his want to maintain enjoying soccer.
“I really like this recreation,” he continued. “I do know I’m going to overlook it once I’m achieved enjoying. … I get to play a recreation for a dwelling on the age of 33, 34 and I believe that’s one thing – , I don’t need to lose that. I don’t need to lose that pleasure that I had for a recreation once I was a child.”
November 2023
The athlete admitted that accidents prompted him to consider retirement “greater than anybody might ever think about” throughout an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
“That’s the one factor I’ve by no means actually been open about,” he mentioned. “The discomfort. The ache. The lingering accidents — the ten surgical procedures I’ve had that I nonetheless really feel each single surgical procedure to this present day.”
January 2024
“I’ve no motive to cease enjoying soccer,” Travis informed reporters at a press convention. He famous that alternatives like his March 2023 Saturday Night Live hosting gig had given him a glimpse of his future prospects, however he nonetheless wasn’t ready to walk away from his old flame.
“I’ve been lucky to do just a few issues outdoors of the sports activities world that I’ve been having fun with doing, like getting on digital camera,” he defined. “The SNL stuff sort of opened up a brand new happiness and a brand new profession path for me, but it surely’s humorous for me to even say that at this level in my profession as a result of I believe it’s a lot additional down the street than it’s proper now.”
June 2024
Throughout a press convention, Travis mentioned that he wasn’t planning on retiring “anytime quickly” and mentioned he “actually can’t put a timeframe” on his NFL exit.
“I’m going to do it until the wheels fall off,” he mentioned. “I can positively perceive that it’s towards the tip of the street [more] than the start of it. I simply gotta be sure that I’m arrange for after soccer as nicely.”
Travis added that he nonetheless will get loads of pleasure from his NFL profession.
“I really like coming to work each single day,” he mentioned. “Clearly, I do know there’s alternatives outdoors of soccer for me. I believe you’ve gotta preserve in perspective that I’m somewhat child once I come on this constructing.”
January 2025
Throughout an look on the Stephen A. Smith Present, Travis denied that he’s able to retire at girlfriend Swift’s insistence.
“She’s totally encouraging me to take pleasure in enjoying this recreation,” Travis said. “She loves coming to Arrowhead [Stadium] and coming to the video games and cheering for me, so I received all of the assist on the planet to maintain chasing these desires.”
February 2025
Throughout Tremendous Bowl LIX Opening Evening on February 3, Kelce was requested the place he expects to be in 3 years.
“Hopefully nonetheless enjoying soccer,” Kelce informed reporters. “I really like doing this. I really like coming into work on daily basis. I really feel like I nonetheless received loads of good soccer left in me.”
He added, “We’ll see what occurs. I do know I’ve been setting myself up for different alternatives in my life. That’s at all times been the purpose, realizing that soccer solely lasts for thus lengthy.”
February 2025
Following the Chiefs’ 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Tremendous Bowl LIX, a somber Kelce mentioned, “We haven’t performed that unhealthy all season.”
Kelce didn’t deal with his enjoying future throughout his transient feedback to reporters.
When Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was requested if he thought Kelce would return for another season, he mentioned, “I’ll let Travis make that call on his personal.”
Mahomes added, “He’s given a lot to this group and to the NFL, and been such a pleasure not just for me to work with however [for] folks to observe.”
October 2025
Travis mentioned his potential retirement throughout an interview on ESPN’S Monday Evening Countdown together with his brother, Jason.
“Man, I’ll be lucky to maintain having enjoyable with these guys 12 months in 12 months out, man,” Travis mentioned, including, “I take it daily, 12 months by 12 months. I simply love coming into work with these guys.”
November 2025
Travis shared a brand new replace on the place his head was at relating to his potential retirement plans, telling reporters in November that he would give the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs loads of discover when the time got here.
“You recognize, seeing my brother undergo it and seeing…simply how the league works, the season sort of restarts in April, and I need to give the Chiefs an excellent alternative to know whether or not I come again or not,” he mentioned. “And vice versa. Like, whether or not they need me again or not, it’s a kind of issues the place I’d wish to make that call earlier than they’ve received to get draft picks and free company opens up.”
He added, “I’d wish to make that call earlier than they’ve received to get draft picks and free company opens to fill the roster appropriately… All that will likely be on the finish of the season. I gained’t be eager about it till then.
