Olsen, Kelce Hold Timely Discussion on Retiring Too Early

The juice

But this week on the New Heights podcast, with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce listening intently to every word, Olsen hinted that he missed something invaluable, something that coaching 13-year-old quarterbacks and calling NFL showdowns on FOX can’t replace.

“As fun as gameday is in the booth,” Olsen told Kelce on this week’s edition of the podcast, “and on set and in the studio, it's just different. You're watching these guys prepare for the game. You're watching warmups. You're watching the thrill of victory, the agony of these bone crushing losses, the locker room, the guys, the relationships, the hard times.

“You're never going to fill that, like that never gets filled. What we do in TV is really close to it, like you're in the juice.”

But it’s not the same juice as strapping on shoulder pads and lining up against a linebacker in single-digit wind chills . Olsen was referring to potentially becoming an NFL assistant coach but he might as well have been talking about resurrecting his playing career. Rob Gronkowski, Brett Favre and plenty of others walked away too early, only to return.

And even though Kelce could reportedly command eight figures in compensation for diving into television – the route Olsen chose immediately after his 14th year in the NFL – Chiefs followers have to wonder whether Olsen’s words affected Kelce’s decision.

Kelce should have clear path to TV, should he retire

After all, Kelce hasn’t decided whether he’ll play in his 14th season . And after Monday, Kelce now knows that the offensive coordinator who helped him author his three best NFL seasons, Eric Bieniemy, is returning to the Chiefs’ staff.

“I think Travis Kelce is one who -- if he retires -- definitely could do TV,” said insider Andrew Marchand Jan. 5 on the Marchand Sports Media podcast. “I think he wants to do games so that’s one to watch.”

Something else to watch is the most anticipated wedding since Princess Diana walked down the aisle in 1981. Kelce marries Taylor Swift on June 13, and the Chiefs’ tight end needs to prepare for one of the all-time best bachelor parties, with his best-man brother in charge.

That brother, Jason Kelce, played 13 seasons the NFL and no doubt will serve as Travis’ No. 1 advisor on whether he returns for Year 14 with the Chiefs – or any team, for that matter. Kelce’s contract expires on March 11 and Kansas City would need to re-sign him.

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