Travis Kelce Shares Outlook on Continuing Football Career and Exploring Future Paths
Travis Kelce, a prominent NFL player, shares his unwavering commitment to football and discusses potential future career paths, shedding light on his versatile interests and aspirations
Travis Kelce David Eulitt/Getty Images
Travis Kelce, 34, assured reporters at a press conference on Thursday, January 11, that he has no plans to retire from his NFL career anytime soon.
Kelce, the tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, has solidified his place as one of the top players in the league with an impressive 2023 season. He made 93 catches for 984 yards and scored five touchdowns in over 15 games, helping the Chiefs secure their eighth-straight AFC West Championship and ninth-straight playoff appearance with an 11-6 overall record. In November 2023, he set a new NFL record for the fastest tight end to reach 11,000 receiving yards.
Beyond his football achievements, Kelce has gained prominence outside of the sport. His relationship with girlfriend Taylor Swift has garnered significant attention, making them a beloved pop culture phenomenon. Additionally, Kelce has become the face of the biopharmaceutical company Pfizer and showcased his comedic talents by hosting Saturday Night Live in March 2023.
Kelce has thought about expanding his talents beyond football, but he is in no hurry to choose entertainment over his career as an athlete. "I've been lucky to explore things outside of sports that I've really enjoyed, like being on camera," he said. "The SNL experience has brought me a lot of joy and has opened up new career opportunities, but it's surreal to think about it at this stage of my career because I see it as a long-term goal."
He exclaimed, "I'm loving it. We're still achieving success."
At present, Kelce's main priority is guiding his team through the playoffs and maintaining their Super Bowl LVIII title defense. The tight end opted to sit out the Chiefs' Sunday, January 10, game against the Los Angeles Chargers in order to prepare his body for the remainder of the season.
Travis Kelce Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Kelce expressed during his "New Heights" podcast that he was willing to get some rest in the upcoming week, avoid playing on the turf in L.A., and minimize hits to prepare for the playoffs. Even though this decision kept him from breaking the NFL tight end record for the most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons by just 16 receiving yards, Kelce ended the regular season with 984 receiving yards. He explained on the podcast that it didn't feel right to play the game that way and that he didn't care about breaking the record.
"I've never stated that if I don't reach 1,000 yards, my season was a failure," he went on. "For me, it's always been if I don't win a Super Bowl, that's a failure."
Although Travis has no intention of retiring from football in the near future, his brother Jason Kelce has a different perspective. The Philadelphia Eagles center has openly discussed the possibility of retiring from the sport.
“It’s becoming increasingly challenging to compete,” Jason, 36, voiced in his Prime Video documentary Kelce, which debuted last year. “There have been minor issues that may not seem significant now, but could develop into major concerns as my career continues.”
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In a later part of the film, Jason, a player for the Eagles since 2011, expressed his concerns about the long-term impacts of playing football after retiring during a conversation with retired Eagles player Connor Barwin.
“I have two girls, and some people end up getting CTE, some guys live long healthy lives, I have no idea what’s gonna happen,” he said.
