Travis Kelce, a Kansas City Chiefs superstar, hinted on his podcast ‘New Heights’ on Wednesday that his NFL retirement could be close. Travis was discussing one of his record-breaking accomplishments with his older brother, retired NFL legend Jason Kelce, when he noticed another Chiefs tight end.
Kelce became the fastest tight end in NFL history to amass 12,000 receiving yards, doing so in just 172 games, surpassing Tony Gonzalez’s previous record of 210 games. Kelce, who turned 35 in October, is undoubtedly nearing the end of his professional career. Now it appears like Kansas City’s quest to become the first club in Super Bowl history to win three straight titles may be his final season.
‘Goddamn, [Gonzalez] played 210 games. What the f***? Travis spoke to Jason. ‘Well, he played more than that… it took him 210 games to reach 12,000,’ Jason explained. ‘I’m not sure I can… that’s almost 40 more games. I’m not sure whether I can play 40 more! There’s so much outside football I want to do and personal achievements I want to focus on” Travis replied.
‘Listen, there are a lot more games. He received 15,000 [yards]! Jason added. How did he do it? Goddamn!’ Travis finished. Following the Chiefs’ victory against the Chargers on Sunday, Kelce has played exactly 100 fewer regular-season games than Gonzalez, who concluded his illustrious career with 272 NFL appearances.
Travis’ statement that he may not play in 40 more NFL games gives him two more full seasons at most, as the Chiefs would need to play in at least 20 games to reach the Super Bowl, as they have in the last two years.
Over the previous year, there has been a lot of conjecture regarding Kelce’s career longevity, fueled by his relationship with Taylor Swift. Kelce’s popularity has surged since he began dating Swift. ‘New Heights’ has secured a deal with podcast network Wondery worth an estimated $100 million.
Jason, who resigned from the NFL in March, is now a football pundit for ESPN, and Travis is expected to have similar possibilities. Travis is also the host of Prime Video’s ‘Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity?’ where panelists like Nikki Glaser poke fun at the Chief with Swift-related jokes on a few episodes.
Kelce undoubtedly has at least five NFL games left in his career, which includes the remainder of Kansas City’s regular season and one playoff game.
Amy Cooper
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