Travis Kelce retirement rumors: Chiefs TE talks future plans ahead of Super Bowl 59

By his lofty standards, the 2024 season has been a down year for Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

This year Kelce caught 97 passes for 823 yards, his lowest yardage output of his career aside from his one-game stint in 2013, and just three touchdowns. While he hauled in 7 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown in Kansas City’s win over the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round, Kelce was rather quiet in the AFC Championship Game, catching just a pair of passes for 19 yards against the Buffalo Bills.

This dip in production, coupled with Kelce’s growing resume away from the field, has opened the door to speculation about the tight end walking away from the game after Super Bowl LIX.

However, addressing the media during Super Bowl Opening Night, Kelce poured some cold water on that speculation, while admitting that the thought of retirement has crossed his mind.

“Where will I be in three years? Hopefully still playing football,” Kelce said during Opening Night.

“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,” added the Chiefs tight end. “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. You’ve got to find a way to get into another career, another profession. I’ve been doing that in my offseasons. But for the most part, I’m planning on being a Kansas City Chief and playing football.”

Describing Kelce’s activities away from the field as “other opportunities” sells his efforts short. This past offseason Kelce landed his first major acting role, staring in the FX horror series Grotesquerie alongside Niecy Nash-Betts and Courtney B. Vance. Kelce has also hosted Saturday Night Live, is the host of a new game show on Amazon Prime Video titled Are You Smarter than a Celebrity?, and the podcast New Heights that he co-hosts with his brother Jason remains one of the most popular sports podcasts on the planet.

These endeavors have paved the way for an enjoyable, and potentially lucrative, life away from the football field.

Speaking Monday night, Kelce conceded that he has thought about retirement, but still loves what he does in Kansas City.

“I’ve thought about it, but I still love what I do,” Kelce said Monday night. “It’s moments like these, weeks like these, the month that we just had in the playoffs that make me feel like I could play this game forever. I think I still got a lot of football left in me. I think this year has been one of the most special years of my life.

“I think it’s gonna continue to make me want to do more in the football world.”

Update (Saturday night): However, others are not sure that Kelce will be coming back for next season, let alone playing another three years in the league. In a story released on Saturday night on the eve of Super Bowl LIX, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that according to sources “Kelce still hasn’t made up his mind about whether or not he’ll play in 2025.”

Furthermore, Rapoport posits that Sunday night’s game could factor into his decision. “Sources informed of his thinking say Kelce’s decision could hinge on the results of Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles,” wrote Rapoport on Saturday night.