Travis Kelce got honest about the speculation that he is retiring from the NFL after the Kansas City Chiefs’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2025 Super Bowl.
“It’s gonna sting,” Kelce, 35, said on the Wednesday, February 12, episode of his “New Heights” podcast. “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 … I’m not making any crazy decisions but right now the biggest thing is just being there for my teammates and being there for my coaches, understanding that a lot that goes into this thing.”
He continued, “You know, I’ve been fortunate over the past five, six years — I’ve played more football than anybody. And it’s because the people that are in that building and 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 that process can be grueling. It can weigh on you.”
The tight end emphasized that the extra time on the field “can make you better and it can drive you crazy at the same time,” admitting that “it was kind of driving me crazy this year.”
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“I think that it happens as you kind of tail off toward the back nine of your career … as you see yourself or not feel yourself have the success that you once used to have, man, it’s a tough pill to swallow,” he said. “And then on top of that, to not be there in the biggest moments, knowing your team’s counting on you … it’s just a tough reality.”
Kelce and the Chiefs went into Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, February 9, hoping to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive titles. However, the Eagles ultimately walked away with the Lombardi trophy after a blowout 40-22 win.
After the defeat, Kelce spoke to reporters about what he believed went wrong.
“[We] couldn’t get it going offensively. I mean, they just got after us on all three phases, and then, on top of that, turnovers, penalties, playing behind the sticks on offense. Dropped passes, not taking advantage of the play calls and executing,” he said. “There’s a lot that goes into it. You don’t lose like that without everything going bad. … We haven’t played that bad all year.”
While speculation about when Kelce — who has been playing for the Chiefs since 2013 — will retire has been ongoing for years, rumors he was ready to hang it up hit a fever pitch after the Super Bowl loss. In a post-game press conference, quarterback Patrick Mahomes addressed Kelce’s NFL future.
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“I’ll let Travis make that decision on his own,” Mahomes, 29, told reporters of the tight end’s potential retirement. “He’s given so much to this team and to the NFL and been such a joy not only for me to work with but for people to watch. He knows he still has a lot of football left in him. You can see it — he always makes plays in the biggest moments. But it’s if he wants to put in that grind, it’s a grind to go out there and play 20 games … and get to a Super Bowl, and he’s done enough to be a gold jacket guy and first-ballot Hall of Famer.”
Mahomes emphasized that Kelce would be embraced should he return to the Chiefs for another season.
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“I know he still has a love for the game, and he’ll get to spend some time with his family and make that decision on his own, but he knows he’ll come back here with welcome arms and we love that guy,” he added.
Kelce noted on Wednesday that he wasn’t in a hurry to make his final decision. “I think I’m gonna take some time to figure it out,” he said on the podcast. “I think I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back, it’s gonna be something that it’s a wholehearted decision and I’m 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, as a person to take on all that responsibility.”
Travis’ brother and cohost, Jason Kelce, encouraged him to “take your time” and “get away” from the noise as he considered his future. (Jason, 37, retired in 2024 after 13 years in the NFL.)
Ahead of the Super Bowl, Travis insisted that he had no plans to retire anytime soon.
“Hopefully still playing football,” he told reporters during Opening Night when asked where he believes he will be in three years. “I love doing this. I love coming into work every day. I feel like I still got a lot of good football left in me.”
He continued, “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 that football only lasts for so long.”
