Travis Kelce has stated his intent to play "until the wheels fall off", showing no signs of retirement as he pursues a third consecutive Super Bowl victory.
At 34-years-old, the Kansas City Chiefs superstar is determined to make the most of his potential Hall-of-Fame-worthy career, despite attractive "opportunities" that await him post-retirement. Although Kelce's success, including three Super Bowl victories in the last five seasons, with the Chiefs made him a household name across America, his relationship with pop music sensation Taylor Swift has elevated his celebrity status to new heights.
The footballer also celebrates considerable popularity in the media sphere; "New Heights", a podcast co-hosted by himself and his brother Jason, ranks among the nation's most popular. On top of this, Travis has begun dabbling in television and acting; he has signed on to host Amazon's upcoming game show "Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity?", and is set to make his dramatic debut in FX's forthcoming horror series "Grotesquerie".
In fact, Kelce isnt shying away from openly courting more acting roles; only last month, he admitted on his podcast that he's "looking for movie deals" and declared his interest in being part of "Happy Gilmore 2", Adam Sandler's highly-anticipated sequel to the 1996 hit golf comedy.
Kelce, who is contracted to the Chiefs until the end of 2025 resulting from a deal signed this April that saw him become the best-paid tight end in the NFL with a locked-in yearly salary of $17 million, hinted that he's not ready for retirement despite his interests outside football and increasing questions about the end of his illustrious career.
Despite the rumours, on Tuesday he confirmed his intentions to continue playing, especially as the Chiefs gun for a "three-peat". "Hopefully, that doesn't happen anytime soon," he commented.
Speaking about retirement, Kelce said: "I really can't put a timeframe on [retirement]. I love coming to work every single day. Obviously, I know there's opportunities outside of football for me. You have to keep in perspective that I'm still a little kid when I come into this building, man."
Kelce, stated his continued passion for the game saying: "I know I'm 34 years old, but I have a love to do this right here, in the middle of the heat in June. I love coming to work every single day. Wear and tear me, baby. I'm ready for it, man. Put the load on me."
While his performance in the 2023 regular season saw him record lesser numbers at 984 receiving yards and five touchdowns, ending his seven-year streak of crossing the 1,000-yard receiving mark, his playoff contributions were immense, clocking 355 yards and three touchdowns across four games and playing an integral role in leading the Chiefs to Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
Former Philadelphia Eagles star, Jason Kelce, will be swapping his playing kit for a presenter's seat as he embarks on a career in television. The 36-year-old retired player is set to join ESPN's "Monday Night Football pregame squad when the new season kicks off this coming September.