Everything Travis Kelce Has Said About Retiring From the NFL

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No, Travis Kelce wasn’t cosmically destined to retire after 13 seasons.

Look, it would definitely look intentional, wouldn’t it? But if Travis Kelce were to retire after playing for exactly 13 seasons – which, of course, is Taylor’s lucky number – well, that would be quite the coincidence! Honestly, I’d say there’s a very high chance it’s more than just random timing.

Travis has often discussed retirement, especially after signing a new two-year, $34.25 million contract in April 2024 following his third Super Bowl win with the Kansas City Chiefs. However, this is the first time he appears to be seriously weighing the possibility of retiring as much as he is considering playing on.

The tight end told reporters on November 21st that he wants to give the Chiefs time to plan for the future, regardless of whether he returns to the team or they want him back, according to ESPN. He plans to make a decision about his next move by early March, ideally before the draft and free agency begin. He wants to let the team address their roster needs without his situation hanging over them, and won’t start considering his options until the end of the current season.

Cue the reading between the lines of everything he’s said since.

Travis initially set a deadline for making a decision, still believing his struggling team could turn things around and reach the playoffs. Unfortunately, they didn’t, and the Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time in eight years, since 2014.

After the season ended with a loss to the Raiders on January 4th, Travis expressed his strong affection for his team, the organization, and everyone involved. He plans to take some time to reflect with the team during exit interviews, connect with his family, and then decide what’s next.

When asked about his decision timeline, he said it’s hard to predict. He might decide quickly, or it might take some time. He noted last year’s decision was easier, as he knew almost immediately he wanted to continue. He’ll see how it goes this time around.

Following the Chiefs’ decisive loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in last February’s Super Bowl, many wondered if Travis Kelce might retire. However, he didn’t want to end his career with a defeat, believing he had more to offer.

A month later, on the ‘New Heights’ podcast he co-hosts with his brother Jason Kelce, he said his biggest motivation is simply his love for the game. He believes he can still play football at a very high level, and even better than he did last season.

He admitted he didn’t feel good about how the season ended, especially considering how well he’d been playing and his responsibility to his teammates. He expressed his strong connection to Kansas City, saying he considers it home and isn’t ready to leave the life he’s built there.

Plus, at the time, he had another year left on that deal he signed in 2024.

Travis Kelce said in September 2024, before his twelfth season, that retiring after winning back-to-back Super Bowls with the Chiefs wasn’t even a thought. He explained that the challenge of potentially winning a third championship in a row was enough motivation to keep playing.

Really, the athlete added, there was “not a chance in hell that I wasn’t coming back this year.”

In November 2024, Travis admitted he didn’t know how much longer he’d play football. He told reporters he loves going to work each day and feels young and energized while playing, but also understands there are other career paths he could pursue in the future.

He said he plans to keep playing for as long as he can. While he hopes his career lasts a while longer, he acknowledges he’s nearing retirement and is starting to think about what he’ll do after football.

He’s definitely been making the most of things, refusing to let a disappointing performance in the 2025 Super Bowl get him down. He’s been enjoying life to the fullest, even proposing to Taylor in his own backyard in August, right after she finished recording a special two-hour episode of their podcast, New Heights.

It’s unclear whether he’ll be any more willing to leave now, after several losses, than he would have been after losing the Super Bowl.

On the January 7th episode of the New Heights podcast, Travis spoke about how difficult it was to lose their final game. He explained it was particularly tough considering Jason’s recent retirement – a very emotional moment for the whole family after 13 seasons with the Eagles – and the high expectations they had set for themselves and the team throughout the season.

Travis boosted his career stats, becoming just the third tight end in NFL history to surpass 13,000 receiving yards – following only Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten. He currently ranks eighth all-time in receptions with 1,080. Additionally, he’s only the second player ever, after Tim Brown, to have at least 75 receptions for ten seasons in a row.

And making that history was as tiring as it sounds.

Travis admitted he’s been pushing his body to its limits, but he loves it. He really enjoys the physical challenge of playing football – he described it as something he genuinely loves.

Right now, his main goal is to take a break – a few weeks, possibly a month – to relax and decide what he wants to do with his football career.

Travis mentioned he’d already spoken with some colleagues as part of their exit interviews, and they understood his position. He believes there’s still a lot of passion for the game and that feeling won’t disappear.

He admitted deciding about retirement is difficult. However, if his body recovers well and he feels certain he can play another full season, he’d definitely do it. Right now, he’s focused on figuring that out and seeing how he feels physically after this game, once everything calms down.

Despite the ongoing investigation, fans are still looking for hints, fueled by Travis’s excitement about offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy returning to the Chiefs after a period away.

Travis expressed his excitement about seeing the coach return, saying on the January 21st episode of New Heights that he’s always been one of his favorite coaches and people.

Seeing him at practice is a good sign. Although the Super Bowl won’t quite be the same without the Chiefs this year, we’re still waiting to see what happens next.

And here’s more to know about the guy who may or may not be on the Chiefs next season:

Although Travis Kelce is now famously associated with Kansas City, Missouri, he actually spent his childhood growing up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

During game broadcasts when players are introduced, the announcer proudly calls out his hometown rather than his college, the University of Cincinnati.

Which, as you might guess, has irked some fellow alums. 

Travis Kelce explained that while he deeply values his time at the University of Cincinnati, it wasn’t always easy. Speaking in 2019 at his Cleveland Heights High School Hall of Fame induction with his brother Jason, he admitted he faced challenges, including losing his scholarship due to some poor decisions. He joked that he was ‘that guy’ who made mistakes, something many people from their high school could probably relate to.

He explained that Cleveland Heights wasn’t just important to him personally, but to everyone in the community. He highlighted the city’s diversity and how it inspires him, saying everything he does is for Cleveland Heights. He admitted it might sound like a cliché, but he genuinely feels that even his celebratory moments – like dancing after scoring – represent his dedication to the city and its people.

2. About that revoked scholarship…

Following a perfect 2009 season and a Big East championship, Travis tested positive for marijuana before the 2010 Sugar Bowl. This occurred after he partied excessively on New Year’s Eve while in New Orleans.

He didn’t just miss the bowl game; the NCAA suspended him for the entire 2010 season and he lost his scholarship. This left him without housing or meals, so he moved in with his brother Jason – sharing Jason’s room with his teammates – and took a job as a telemarketer, calling people to get their opinions on the Affordable Care Act.

They did, and Travis could not wait to get back on the field.

Travis was a multi-sport athlete in high school, playing hockey, baseball, and basketball before focusing on football. He initially played quarterback and was recruited by Cincinnati as a two-star QB. However, he switched to tight end as a requirement for returning to the team after being suspended.

When I was drafted by the Chiefs in 2013, we already had a great quarterback in Zach Collaros, but we were looking to improve both our running and passing attacks,” Travis explained to Arrowhead Pride. “I spoke with my coach, Butch Jones, and he felt a tight end was what we needed. Luckily, my abilities and athleticism fit the role perfectly, and it all worked out well for me.

He once told GQ magazine, reflecting on a particularly embarrassing experience, that people had always expected him to be a tight end, regardless of what he actually did.

Travis often hung out with his teammates, including Jason, at the house on 127 W. Nixon Street, and they frequently had fun – often involving beer.

According to college friend and teammate Tom DeTemple, the brothers would spend hours playing Nintendo 64, often combining it with drinking games. He told the New York Times before the 2024 Super Bowl that they were very skilled at creating these spontaneous games while they played, enthusiastically mashing the controller buttons and drinking beer.

5. And suffice it to say, Travis is extremely proud of being a Bearcat.

Before the 2023 Super Bowl, the Chiefs player shared how much Cincinnati means to him. He expressed strong pride in his time at the University of Cincinnati, mentioning he recently earned his degree and enjoys supporting the school whenever possible. He especially misses the camaraderie with his former teammates and the people who supported him throughout his life, both during good times and bad.

Even though the NCAA was investigating, he said the players, coaches, and staff at the university really had faith in him and believed he could improve his situation. He added that their support meant a lot to him then.

After nearly ten years away from school to pursue his football career, Travis completed his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in 2022. He officially received his diploma in April 2024 at a special, impromptu graduation ceremony held in Cincinnati after he and Jason recorded a live episode of their podcast, New Heights, at Fifth Third Arena.

As the graduate went to shake the dean’s hand in congratulations, he was already holding a beer and immediately drank it down.

And Travis was going to graduate in 2022 but he missed his flight.

Because of some personal issues, Travis Kelce wasn’t drafted as high as some expected, becoming the fifth tight end selected in the 2013 NFL Draft – picked by the Chiefs in the third round. After drafting him, coach Andy Reid, who had previously coached Travis’s brother Jason in Philadelphia, asked Jason to give him a positive assessment of Travis’s character.

Andy and Travis have three Super Bowl rings to show for Jason’s endorsement.

Travis used to listen to Randy Newman’s song “Burn On” before every game for years, though his pre-game music choices have evolved since then.

Growing up on the east side of Cleveland, this song always makes me reflect on my family and how grateful I am for where I am in life,” he explained on the 2017 NBC Sports podcast, PFT Live.

Let us explain: It’s in the opening credits of Major League, the ultimate Cleveland sports movie.

9. Everyone, including Travis, is mispronouncing his last name.

Everyone’s been pronouncing Kelce as “Kel-see,” but the correct pronunciation actually rhymes with “else.”

The news came out when Chris Jones, Travis’ teammate, mentioned it on Inside the NFL in January, famously saying, “Crazy, right?” Travis and his brother Jason later confirmed the story when they talked to their dad, Ed Kelce, on their New Heights podcast.

Jason was confused. “Seriously, why did you change your name? And why did we all start calling ourselves Kel-see? I’ve been called that for 27 years, and Trav for 25!”

Ed admitted he “got tired of correcting people” but urged his son to “do whatever you want.”

Travis has worn the number 87 throughout his NFL career to honor his brother Jason, who was born in 1987.

Travis Kelce shared with NFL Films that the story of his family’s NFL success – with both him and his brother Jason reaching the league – began in 1987, the year he was born. He said this just before the 2023 Super Bowl, where his team, the Kansas City Chiefs, played against his brother Jason’s Philadelphia Eagles.

Travis Kelce’s Eighty Seven & Running foundation has consistently supported Operation Breakthrough, a Kansas City nonprofit learning center. He first volunteered there in 2015, reading The Cat in the Hat to the children, and has been involved ever since.

Yes, reader, he wore the hat.

Since then, Travis has supported the program by investing in its Smart Lab and purchasing the building next door. This allowed them to create the Ignition Lab, where students transformed old, discarded cars into functional electric vehicles.

Travis and Jason call their podcast audience “92 percenters” because Jason once said a quarterback sneak – a short-yardage play – is successful about 92% of the time when a team only needs one yard to score a touchdown.

Listeners loved the podcast so much they started calling themselves the “92 percenters,” as if it were a special inside joke, according to the podcast’s website.

Who were the Kelce brothers to argue with that?

Travis Kelce works with three trainers—Alex Skacel, Andrew Spruill, and Laurence Justin Ng—and typically has one of them travel with him to help him stay in peak condition for football year-round, according to The Athletic.

Alex, a physical therapist, remembered that Travis wanted to go for a run late at night after Paris Fashion Week. Travis had skipped his usual workout that day and was eager to get some exercise.

The trainer told the New York Times in April that they were doing sprint workouts on the bridges over the river at midnight. He emphasized that no matter the location, this individual always makes time to complete necessary tasks.

Travis’s chef, Kumar Ferguson, is a lifelong friend – they’ve known each other since fourth grade when they both grew up in Cleveland Heights.

In 2016, he was a truck driver who enjoyed cooking as a hobby when Travis contacted him with a job offer.

Kumar recalled that the person said, ‘I really want to commit to a healthy diet and take it to the next level.’ Kumar responded that he immediately agreed, and just a few days later, he found himself in Kansas City.

He handles a wide range of tasks, including everything from keeping Travis’ refrigerator full to providing nutritious lunches for the Chiefs players at their practice facility.

As a style enthusiast, I’ve been following the buzz around Travis Kelce’s look! He recently shared on his podcast that his decision to shave his off-season beard and keep the mustache wasn’t random. It’s actually a fun tribute to Andy Reid’s iconic walrus mustache – a look he first sported in 2023 and decided to bring back again this year. It’s a really cool way to show respect for his coach!

As a lifestyle expert, I’m always fascinated by success stories, and Travis Kelce’s recent contract is a perfect example! In April 2024, he signed a two-year deal worth $34.25 million, which officially made him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL – a huge milestone in his career!

Which finally put an end to years of chatter about how much money he wasn’t making.

In a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair, Travis Kelce joked that his managers and agents frequently point out he deserves a raise. He said whenever he brings up wanting more money, they tell him to ask the Kansas City Chiefs for it.

By that point, he had found other ways to earn money, so he was more interested in enjoying his work than in how much it paid.

He said the idea of a free market seems good until you experience losing. He emphasized his enjoyment of success and his satisfaction with his current position.

Honestly, seeing how much other players are earning really stings. It makes you wonder if you’re getting a fair deal, and if pushing harder would actually get me what I deserve. But despite those thoughts, I genuinely love going to work every day. It’s a tough feeling, knowing what others make, but I still find a lot of joy in what I do.

Travis developed a passion for clothing at a young age while growing up in Cleveland Heights. He described his high school as a daily “fashion show” in a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair.

He transformed a bedroom into a walk-in closet to store his expensive clothes and extensive sneaker collection – over 300 pairs! He even splurged on a pair of size-13 Nike Air Mags with a significant part of his first professional salary, even though they didn’t quite fit.

He told the Wall Street Journal that early in his career, before sneaker apps were common, he’d just buy whatever size of shoe he could find in the style he wanted.

He’s a big fan of Nike, especially since they sponsor him, but he also loves Chuck Taylor sneakers. They remind him of the famous baseball player Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez from the movie The Sandlot.

18. Among his dozens of investments, Travis co-owns Ohio-brewed Garage Beer with Jason.

Travis shared in a statement last June that he enjoys a beer from time to time, so he’s thrilled to be an owner of Garage Beer and help create a great light beer. He believes there’s nothing quite like a cold beer to bring people together, and for him and his partner, Jason, that’s what beer is all about—connecting with friends and family and having a good time.

19. We’re sensing a theme when it comes to Travis’ guilty pleasure TV choices.

He reminisced about the show Gossip Girl, describing it on the New Heights podcast as a classic New York high school drama. He explained that it was full of gossip and people talking negatively about each other.

His new favorite show? Peacock’s Emmy-winning backstab-a-ganza The Traitors.

After playing in the NFL for 12 seasons, 35-year-old Travis has recently been more vocal about the physical challenges of the sport.

From the very beginning of his career, he’s faced tough challenges. He initially missed a full season due to a knee injury that needed surgery – the first of ten he’s undergone so far. Despite this, he’s consistently persevered.

Travis Kelce recently shared on the New Heights podcast that he tried to give Taylor Swift a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it while she was performing in Kansas City, but wasn’t able to.

She heard through mutual connections that Travis wanted to meet her, so she reached out to him.

He told WSJ. Magazine that she explained the whole situation to him, and how fortunate he was that she contacted him.

Travis has always loved French toast, especially when it’s topped with whipped cream and syrup.

But more recently he’s become a fan of his girlfriend’s homemade Pop-Tarts and cinnamon rolls.

23. At least one of Travis’ ringtones is Chris Farley shrieking “For the love of God!” in Tommy Boy.

You know, I was telling Taylor about my love for classic comedy – guys like Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, and Will Ferrell. It’s a huge part of what makes me, me! I had to share that world with her. I basically said, ‘This is what I’m all about!’ It’s important to introduce the things you’re passionate about to the people you care about, right?

After the Chiefs won the AFC Championship in 2019, Travis Kelce shouted, “You’ve got to fight for your right to party!” This inspired the team to play the Beastie Boys’ song of the same name after every touchdown scored at Arrowhead Stadium during home games.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach described Travis Kelce as a huge boost to team morale, saying in 2020, “It’s hard to put into words just how valuable that is.” Kelce’s positive personality, enthusiasm, and leadership naturally draw people in. Everyone in the Chiefs organization considers Travis a friend, and he consistently lifts the spirits, concentration, and overall energy of those around him – all while making things enjoyable.

The person who enthusiastically introduced the song to everyone surprisingly didn’t learn all the lyrics to the 1986 hit until he had to sing it with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show in February 2023.

In May 2024, Travis revealed his three favorite Taylor Swift songs: “Blank Space,” “The Alchemy,” and “So High School.”

When asked about it a few months later, he gave a different answer, saying, “I love them all—absolutely every single one.”

He publicly stated in August 2025 that his favorite song from The Life of a Show Girl is “Opalite.”

People began comparing Travis Kelce to Tony Gonzalez, the Chiefs’ all-time great tight end who retired in 2013 after 17 seasons, very early in Kelce’s career.

Back in 2015, as people began to seriously discuss whether Travis would exceed Tony’s accomplishments—and how let down everyone would be if he didn’t—Travis claimed he didn’t listen to any of the talk.

I’m my own harshest critic,” he explained to Complex. “I’m aiming to have the best statistical season ever for a tight end.”

In 2024, Travis became the Kansas City Chiefs’ all-time leader in receptions, breaking Tony’s record with his 917th catch.

On the New Heights podcast, Travis Kelce reflected on how things often come back around. He pointed out that being a leader on the Kansas City Chiefs—a team with roots going back to the 1960s—felt significant, as they were one of the original franchises still performing at a high level. He credited the team’s long history and specifically mentioned Tony Gonzalez, who he considers a mentor and greatly admires.

27. Of Travis’ many accomplishments, keeping his house in order on his own isn’t one of them.

“He can’t clean,” mom Donna Kelce told Extra in September 2024. “He can’t cook.”

But perhaps hosting a special someone served as extra motivation to get it together.

“He’s getting a little better,” Donna acknowledged. “I think he’s getting some help.”

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2026-01-24 11:20