Travis Kelce could become the ninth tight end in NFL history to win at least three Super Bowl rings. Would such a feat be enough for him to retire?
The Chiefs’ star tight end did not definitively rule out a post-Super Bowl retirement at the start of NFL championship week in Las Vegas. While he also didn’t hint at retiring, he did say, “It’s something you have to think about.”
“That’s always a question you ask yourself when you’re further along in your career and you start to fade, so thank you for telling me I’m not as good as I was,” Kelce said. “I walk into this building and these stadiums and I walk in and work hard with these guys, I can’t imagine not doing this for as long as possible because I know I’m going to miss it when it’s all said and done.
“I can’t say how long I’ll play, but I know I’m enjoying every moment of coming to work right now.”
Kelce’s relationship with star Taylor Swift has fueled speculation that the 34-year-old could end her career after Super Bowl 58. Swift has been selling out stadiums around the world for her Eras Tour, and retiring could allow Kelce spend more time with Swift. her as she prepares for more tour dates and the release of a new album.
But Kelce is focused on his next game. He’s been on a mission since he won the first Super Bowl, he said. And after winning last year’s Super Bowl, his motivation is higher than ever to win this one and get back-to-back rings.
“I want this more than I’ve ever wanted a Super Bowl in my life,” Kelce said. “And it’s because of the type of team we have, the people we have in this, but also because that level of teams that have done it twice have gone down in history as some of the greats.”
As for any potential decline, Kelce may not have had his usual 1,000-yard receiving season, but the future Hall of Famer still had a breakout campaign. He caught 93 passes for 984 yards with five touchdowns. It was his fewest yards since 2015 (875) and his fewest touchdown receptions since 2019 (five).
he classifies fourth all time in receiving yards by a tight end with 11,328 and fourth in receptions by a tight end (907), and set the postseason record for career receptions with 156, surpassing Jerry Rice’s 151 in the AFC championship game.
If Kelce decides to return for another year (or more), it’s safe to say the list of tight ends better than him in the league will be short or empty.
