Three Key Takeaways:
- Travis Kelce, after his team’s Super Bowl loss, is facing a decision about his future, with the Chiefs reportedly giving him a deadline of March 14 to decide whether to retire or play another season.
- At 35, Kelce has already achieved remarkable success in the NFL, with three Super Bowl championships and 10 Pro Bowls, and is expected to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
- Kelce’s retirement rumors have been fueled by a drop in his performance this season and his growing entertainment career, including his relationship with pop star Taylor Swift and work in TV and game shows. He’s taking his time to make the decision.
Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce is facing a life-altering decision.
He’s feeling the pressure after coming to a fork in the road.
And Travis Kelce was given one ultimatum about his future that will change everything.
Kansas City Chiefs give Travis Kelce a retirement deadline
The Kansas City Chiefs went into the Super Bowl with dreams of becoming the first team in NFL history to win the big game three straight times.
But the Philadelphia Eagles stunned the world by routing the Chiefs 40-22.
It was rumored that with a victory, Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce could call it a career.
The 35-year-old had the perfect setting to ride off into the sunset after a Super Bowl victory.
Kelce finished the game with four catches for 39 yards in the blowout loss.
A potential storybook ending to his career was gone with the defeat.
Kelce is near the end of his playing career and retirement rumors picked up after his production dropped off this season.
The three-time Super Bowl champion and 10-time Pro Bowler doesn’t have anything left to prove in the NFL.
He’s almost certain to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he calls it a career.
Kelce has a budding relationship with pop star Taylor Swift and a career in entertainment awaiting him in retirement after starring in a TV series and hosting a game show.
The Athletic reported that the Chiefs have given him until around March 14 to make a decision about retirement.
Kelce is owed a $11.5 million roster bonus by the Chiefs on March 15.
Travis Kelce talks about potential retirement
The Chiefs star talked about his potential retirement on his New Heights podcast with his brother Jason Kelce in the aftermath of the Super Bowl.
“I know everybody wants to know whether or not I’m playing next year, and right now, I’m just kicking everything down the road,” Travis said. “I’m not making any crazy decisions.”
He left the door cracked open to retire with the statement.
Travis said the most important thing after the Super Bowl loss was for the organization to “be there” for each other.
“It’s just a tough reality,” Travis said about playing in the NFL. “There’s a lot that goes into this thing, you know? A lot of wear and tear on your body.”
Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski retired when he was 33 after an injury-riddled career.
Few tight ends make it into their mid-30s like Travis Kelce.
He said that he wasn’t going to rush into any decision about his future.
“I’m gonna take some time to figure it out,” Travis said. “And, I think I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back, it’s a wholehearted decision. I’m not half a** it, and I’m fully here for them.”
Travis said his friends and family had his back after the Super Bowl defeat.
“After the game, I had my best friends and my family and my loved ones and everybody that has supported me throughout my life there to make it not feel like the worst day of my life, gonna suck for quite a while,” Travis stated. “It’s just life, man. It’s life.”
Travis Kelce has a tough decision to make about coming back to the Chiefs for another year.