Travis Kelce is seriously considering retirement from the NFL following the Kansas City Chiefs’ crushing 40-22 Super Bowl defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
The 35-year-old tight end endured a difficult night at the Caesars Superdome, managing just four catches for 39 yards as the Chiefs failed in their bid to secure a historic three-peat.
Speaking on the latest episode of his New Heights podcast with brother Jason, Kelce revealed he is weighing up his future in the sport after 12 seasons at the highest level.
‘I know everybody wants to know whether or not I’m playing next year, and right now I’m just kicking everything down the road’, Kelce told his brother on the podcast.
Travis Kelce is seriously considering retirement from the NFL following the Kansas City Chiefs’ crushing 40-22 Super Bowl defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday
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The Chiefs star emphasised he was not rushing into any decisions about his future.
‘Right now the biggest thing is just being there for my teammates and being there for my coaches, understanding there’s a lot that goes into this thing’, he added.
The legendary tight end pointed to the physical and mental demands of consistently reaching the latter stages of the NFL season.
‘The fact that we keep going to these AFC Championships and these Super Bowls, that means I’m playing an extra three games than everybody else in the entire league’, Kelce explained.
He highlighted the toll this extended schedule takes on both body and mind.
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Travis Kelce endured a wretched night on Sunday as the Kansas City Chiefs lost the Super Bowl to Philadelphia Eagles
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That process can be grueling, it can weigh on you’, he admitted.
‘When you feel yourself not have the success that you used to have, it’s a tough pill to swallow.
‘And then on top of that to not be there in the biggest moments, knowing your team’s counting on you man… it’s just a tough reality.’
Kelce stressed the importance of making a wholehearted commitment if he decides to continue playing.
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‘I’m gonna take some time to figure it out’, he said. ‘If I do come back that it’s gonna be a wholehearted decision and I’m not half-a**ing it’.
His brother Jason, who retired last year after 13 seasons with the Eagles, offered supportive advice.
‘It sucks when you get to this point in your career when it becomes harder and harder to do it’, Jason told him.
‘To do it right you have to be committed and you have to put the time in, and you have to be all in.
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‘Take your time, obviously get away from everything for a while’.
Fans have taken to social media to express their belief that Kelce’s retirement is imminent after the Chiefs star dropped the bombshell.
‘The wheels are falling off. My heart breaks for trav, all his life he has worked hard to get where he’s at’, wrote one supporter on X.
‘As a long time fan of football this sounds like retirement is coming so sad’, another commented.
Travis Kelce is set to spend more time with girlfriend Taylor Swift now the Super Bowl is over
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Kelce had been hoping to win his fourth Super Bowl on Sunday.
He previously secured glory in 2020, 2023 and 2024 but struggled at the weekend as the Philadelphia Eagles won 40-22 to etch their names into the history books.
It was the Eagles’ second Super Bowl triumph, with their first coming back in 2018.