Kansas Metropolis Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce insisted during Super Bowl week he had “a full coronary heart of soccer left in me” and will probably proceed enjoying for one more few seasons.
It appears Kelce is having second ideas following Kansas Metropolis’s 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Tremendous Bowl LIX this previous Sunday evening.
“I do know everyone desires to know whether or not I’m enjoying subsequent 12 months, and proper now I’m simply kicking every little thing down the street. I’m kicking each can I can down the street,” Kelce mentioned through the newest version of his “New Heights” podcast, as shared by Nika Shakhnazarova of the New York Put up. “I’m not making any loopy selections, however proper now the most important factor is simply being there for my teammates and being there for my coaches, understanding there’s loads that goes into this factor.”
Kelce acknowledged within the fall of 2023 that he had considered retirement “greater than anybody may ever think about,” partly as a result of he had undergone 10 surgeries at that time of his Corridor of Fame profession. Whereas Kelce later suggested he wished to earn as many championship rings as doable earlier than he retired, the 35-year-old additionally made it identified he wants to go out on his personal phrases earlier than his physique forces him away from the sport.
“The truth that we preserve going to those AFC Championships and Tremendous Bowls, which means I’m enjoying an additional three video games greater than everyone else in your entire league. That’s numerous put on and tear in your physique,” Kelce continued. “It’s numerous time within the constructing. …That course of may be grueling. It might weigh on you. It might make you higher and it could possibly drive you loopy. Proper now, it was a type of issues the place it was driving me loopy this 12 months. It occurs as you tail off in direction of the again 9 of your profession.”
Kelce recorded simply three landing catches through the 2024 common season, however he additionally led the Chiefs with 97 receptions and 823 receiving yards. With that mentioned, some might really feel the very fact he tallied simply 4 catches for 39 yards in opposition to the Eagles reveals he is now not the dominant drive he was even a 12 months in the past.
“I’m going to take a while to determine it out,” Kelce added a few retirement choice that he appeared fairly assured about earlier than the Tremendous Bowl. “I feel I owe it to my teammates that if I do come again, it’s going to be one thing that — it’s a wholehearted choice. …I’m totally right here for them and I feel I can play. It’s simply whether or not or not I’m motivated or if it’s one of the best choice for me as a person, as a human, as an individual to tackle all that accountability.”
Together with relationship leisure famous person Taylor Swift, Kelce has stuffed his off-the-field time with appearing and game-show-host roles together with different enterprise endeavors. One wonders if he’ll quickly determine going all-in on his post-football journey is what’s finest for everyone concerned.
