Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has been playing NFL football at a very high level for a long time. He's certainly going to be a Hall of Famer when he hangs it up, but this 2024 season left something to be desired.
Let's throw away his Super Bowl LIX performance for a moment because nobody on the Chiefs showed up.
Yes, Kelce did lead the Chiefs in receptions and receiving yards with 823, but he caught only three touchdowns, which was the worst mark of his career.
Kelce didn't seem like himself for much of the season, often looking a step slow and perhaps even sluggish. That's not to take away from his otherworldly connection with Patrick Mahomes — which can't be taught or replicated — or his ability to come up big in games.
Now staring at the prospect of his 12th NFL season though and at 35 years old, it does seem like Kelce is mulling calling it quits. He doesn't want to make a decision yet, but the fact that there's even a conversation about it suggests that retirement is a real possibility.
"I know everybody wants to know whether I'm playing next year, and right now, I'm just kicking everything down the road. I'm kicking every can I can down the road. I'm not making any crazy decisions," Kelce said on the "New Heights" podcast (h/t ESPN).
Now that the season is over, Travis is taking some time to think about his future pic.twitter.com/w2rgAQJg6V
— New Heights (@newheightshow) February 12, 2025
Kelce was open about the fact that the grind of playing NFL football at a high level for as long as he has is wearing him down a bit.
"That process can be grueling. It can weigh on you. It can make you better. It can drive you crazy at the same time. And right now, it's one of those things where it was driving me crazy this year. It happens as you kind of tail off towards the back nine of your career, as SVP [Scott Van Pelt] would say," Kelce said.
Should he? Shouldn't he? Only Kelce can make that call, but the choice seems obvious with a little bit of perspective in mind.
How many NFL legends have held on just a little too long only to find themselves embarrassed on the other side of things? Aaron Rodgers comes to mind as a great example of that. The New York Jets don't want him around. This is even though he's a four-time NFL MVP.
The passion could be there but it's hard for the human body to play this game forever, and everyone not named Tom Brady has seemingly learned that lesson the hard way.
Kelce should retire on his terms — having made the last three Super Bowls with two of those appearances ending with rings — rather than allowing the harsh nature of the NFL to make that decision for him in time.
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