In many ways, parallels can be drawn between the game of football and the game of life. Things change quickly in both realms, and no one is operating on infinite time. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, someone who’s reached the pinnacle of stardom in both sport and the public eye, is a great example of that.
Just this week, the future Hall of Fame man said he was “feeling 22 all over again” and was “ready to rock and roll” for Kansas City’s playoff run. Despite that, questions about retirement continue to roll in as he wraps up his age-35 season. For the first time, he added some context that leaves one to think the decision to keep playing is no longer as easy to make.
In a Wednesday appearance on “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” Kelce altered his tune a bit from previous on-record responses.
“Listen, it changes every single day, man,” Kelce said. “I love everything that I’m doing in this building but at the end of the day, I’m not having that extreme success on the field as I have individually. I’m excited for these next couple [of] games, to play up at Arrowhead, to finish this season off. I’ll reevaluate it like I always do, and I’ll probably tell myself how much I love this thing and I’ll come back next year. It’s something that you have to keep in perspective, man. I never want to get to the point where I’m not helping this team win or I’m hurting this team more than I’m helping this team. As long as I’m coming out here, playing good football and enjoying coming into the building every day with my guys, you’ll see me in a Chiefs uniform for sure.”
The past two years have seen Kelce address retirement numerous times. In April 2023, he said he hadn’t “put much thought into” the possibility. Less than seven months later, he admitted he thought about it “more than anyone could ever imagine.” The 2024 calendar year featured him pushing retirement “so much further down the road than it is now” in January, then declare in June that he wanted to keep playing “until the wheels fall off.” Decoding his messages has always been tricky.
Smith got perhaps the most honest and reflective version of Kelce, however, and he doesn’t ponder the timeline of walking away for no good reason. The 12-year veteran can sense a decline in his play.
“Well, the biggest thing is, some of the most fun you ever have in this game is having the ball in your hands,” Kelce said. “That being said, making guys miss was something I always prided myself on. Really, like, that was the staple. I made the play more than what it was supposed to get. If I’ve got a deep cross at 18 yards, I’m not just catching the ball and getting tackled. I’m turning that 18-yard gain into a 20, 30, 40-plus-yard gain. Over the past years, being able to make guys miss has gotten a little bit tougher. Whether or not they know my moves and I’ve got to switch it up or I’ve got to break through tackles or find another way to trick them so I can make them miss. That’s the biggest thing, it’s being able to make guys miss in space and getting those extra yards that aren’t necessarily in the scheme of the play.”
The numbers certainly back up Kelce’s self-scouting observations. After missing two games, nursing injuries and seeing his 1,000-yard receiving streak get snapped last season, his production is even less impressive this time around. On four more receptions and 12 more targets, Kelce put up career-worst marks in yards (823), yards per catch (8.5) and yards per target (6.5) in the regular season. Advanced metrics like yards before catch per reception (5.0), yards after catch per reception (3.5) and receptions per broken tackle (32.3) also diminished.
At this point, Kelce is undoubtedly on the proverbial back nine of his career. In fact, he might be on one of the last couple of holes at that championship-winning golf course. His adjusted contract from last offseason does have one more year on it, potentially setting him up for either a renegotiation, a last hurrah or an escape route in February or March. Although he’s an all-timer, he’s mortal.
Then again, it’s always been nearly impossible to predict what one of the game’s best minds ever will decide to do.
“You know, I haven’t really talked to anybody about this,” Kelce said. “I think I’m still enjoying playing the game and when I’m in the building, I’m working to get better or working to get that extra strength or that extra quickness to be able to make guys miss. It’s a nonstop staircase of success here. Week in [and] week out, Coach (Andy) Reid has challenged us, our tight end room has challenged me to do more of that throughout the season: get more than what we’re just getting on the catch. It’s a focus that’s been there since I’ve got here in Kansas City. I’m not contemplating it too much but at the same time, I’m always trying to be better than I am right now.”
