Travis Kelce drops major retirement hint as he weighs up decision following Chiefs humiliation: 'Tough way to go out'
Travis Kelce dropped a major hint on his future as the iconic tight end finished the NFL season 'jobless' following the Kansas City Chiefs' humiliation.
The Chiefs' 2025 season, which saw the perennial Super Bowl contenders miss out on the playoffs for the first time since 2014, ended in disastrous fashion at the weekend when they suffered a 14-12 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, the NFL's worst team.
And, as Kansas City's nightmare ended, so too did Kelce's contract. The three-time Super Bowl winner's current deal with the Chiefs expired at the culmination of their season, leaving the legend weighing up retirement once again.
As speculation that the 36-year-old could walk away following 13 glittering seasons at the pinnacle of football ramped up, Kelce addressed his future on his New Heights podcast with this brother Jason, who faced a similar decision just two years ago.
'I am officially jobless, Jason,' the NFL icon quipped during the introduction to the show's latest episode.
'In fact this is my only job. This is the only company that employs me right now,' he added referring to his expired contract in Kansas City.
Travis Kelce dropped a major hint on his future on the New Heights podcast
Kelce and the Chiefs finished their season with a humiliating 14-12 loss to the Raiders
Despite his attempts to stay light-hearted on the subject, Kelce did later somberly reflect on his situation - but it may not be all doom and gloom for Chiefs Kingdom.
The legendary tight end didn't rule out the possibility of returning to the field next season but admitted that the decision hinges on his body.
'There's a lot of love for the game still, and I don't think I'll ever lose that,' the veteran confessed. 'It's a tough thing to navigate but at the same time I think if my body can heal up and rest and I can feel confident that I can go out there and give it another 18-, 20-, 21-week run, I think I would do it in a heartbeat.
'I think right now it's just finding that answer and see how the body feels after all this settles down.'
While the Chiefs endured humiliation at the weekend, Kelce proved that he still had what it takes to suit up for another year.
Kelce himself had a season to be proud of on an individual level. He ended with 851 yards and five touchdowns, in the process becoming only the third tight end in NFL history to pass 13,000 yards for his career.
Yet, should he choose to hang up his cleats, one option on the table for him will be to follow older brother Jason and iconic quarterback Tom Brady into broadcasting, with every sports network in America likely to scrap it out for his signature.
However, Kelce insisted that he wouldn't be weighing up either option just yet, claiming that he would be taking a few weeks to spend time with his loved ones when asked by Jason what the offseason would look like.
Kelce's older brother, Eagles legend Jason, faced a similar decision two years ago
'Like every season that ends for me, I just put my feet up and be a human because I've been putting my body through the ringer for the love of it,' he said.
'I do enjoy playing football and the physical aspect of it. There's something about feeling the wear and tear of the football season, getting ready for a game knowing that your body is beatdown, there's something to it. It makes you feel like a mangy animal that's just out here trying to find a way to survive. And I love that s***.'
He added: 'I think just being a regular human for a couple of weeks or maybe a month, trying to figure out what I'm going to do next in terms of my future in football.'
Yet, while the rest of the world may have to wait for Kelce's long-awaited decision, members of his Kansas City inner circle may have already received a clue.
'I've talked to a few people in the facility already, having the exit meetings and everything, and they know where I stand for now,' Kelce revealed.
Kelce has spent his entire career with the Chiefs after being drafted in 2013, winning three Super Bowls and establishing himself as one of the best tight ends in the history of the game.
However, after reaching three consecutive Super Bowls, Kelce and the Chiefs endured a nightmare this season, finishing with a 6-11 record.
Their slim hopes of reaching the playoffs were crushed on December 14 when a 16-13 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers officially eliminated them from the playoffs.
Many believe he will walk away from the game ahead of his and fiancee Taylor Swift's wedding
Kansas City's misery was compounded when star starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a double-ligament tear in the dying minutes of the clash, leading many to speculate that the signal caller may have thrown his last pass to one of his favorite targets, Kelce.
'It was a tough season,' Kelce said on New Heights. 'Obviously, even worse because one-five [Mahomes] went down. We finished the season with a lot of starters banged up. So we had a mix of guys getting their first taste of what the NFL has to offer but it certainly has its challenges.
'It's a tough way to go out, especially with the amount of success and the standard that you hold the team and yourself to throughout the season.
'You try to look back at it right away and try to learn from it and figure out where it all went wrong and how you could have been better in certain situations. It's just a s***y feeling and a s****y way to try and navigate one of the things you love to do the most and that's football. I appreciate everybody that was in that building and on that field.
'It's kind of an embarrassing feeling but you keep it moving. I'm still a fan of the game and I still love the game so I'll be tuned in through out the playoffs to see how this thing shakes out over the next couple of weeks. I get to be around some friends and family in January instead of figuring out how to win some playoff games.'
Kelce's decision on retirement won't be the only life-changing move the NFL star makes in the coming month.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a horror ACL tear during a loss last month
The tight end is set to marry his pop sensation fiancee, Taylor Swift, this summer after popping the question in August of last year.
The pair are reportedly set to tie the knot on June 13 at the luxurious Ocean House in Rhode Island, close to Swift's property in the north-east of America.
Kelce has kept his cards close to his chest about what the future holds, insisting he will reach a decision once the season is over and he has had time to hold talks with Chiefs, as well as his friends and family.
But he has said before that he won't play for any other team in the NFL than the Chiefs.
