Chiefs TE Travis Kelce opens up about retirement amid uncertainty

Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce remains on track to be able to speak with other teams at the start of the "legal tampering" portion of free agency, which gets underway at noon ET on March 9. 

Most assume Kelce will either return to the Chiefs for at least one more season or ride off into the sunset of retirement. During the latest edition of the "New Heights" podcast, Kelce opened up about what he will miss about playing whenever he calls time on his legendary career. 

What Travis Kelce will miss about playing in the NFL

"Man, I think it's just those moments in the big games, man," Travis Kelce explained, per Brad Crawford of CBS Sports. "The feeling of having to rise to the occasion, be there for, you know, 70,000, that are all counting on you out there, outside of just the guys that you go to war with, you guys go to battle with, man."

While speaking with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach insisted the club won't pressure Kelce to confirm his plans before the new league year opens on March 11. Chiefs owner Clark Hunt hasn't hidden that the team wants Kelce to run it back, and a recent update indicated that the future Hall of Famer was "trending toward" returning. 

That said, Kelce and entertainment superstar Taylor Swift are planning their wedding, which is reportedly scheduled to take place this coming June. As long as he remains unsigned, some will understandably wonder if the 36-year-old is simply ready to begin the next chapter of his life. 

Travis Kelce will "cherish" all he has accomplished as an all-time great

"Those moments of rising to the occasion in the heat of the battle, you know, in the playoffs and all the big games out there, man, that's a feeling that I know I'll never get again," Kelce added. "And those are the things that you cherish the most. And especially, you know, if you're fortunate enough to to be in the playoffs and make runs at it, man, the satisfaction that you get and the successful feeling you get of all the hard work that you put in is finally paying off, and I think that'll that'll be one of the things I miss the most."

Perhaps the three-time Super Bowl champion will miss being an active player as soon as this coming fall.