Travis Kelce is taking his wins and losses in his stride, and before even entertaining the idea of retirement, he's hoping for some perspective.
The NFL tight end, 36, just wrapped his 13th season with the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, January 4 with a loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, coming off of a relatively muted season for the Chiefs. This season is the first since 2014 with the Chiefs not in the playoffs, further not helped by their star quarterback Patrick Mahomes' injury.
© Getty ImagesPreviously, Travis has spoken about wanting to take some time off away from the game to meditate on his future with the sport, especially given the team's faltering fortunes, his age, and major developments in his personal life, most notably an upcoming wedding to fiancée Taylor Swift.
On the newest episode of his podcast New Heights with his brother Jason Kelce, released on January 7, Travis spoke candidly about the team's season and final loss to the Raiders 12-14. "It's a tough way to go out, especially with the amount of success and the standard that you hold," he told Jason, a former Philadelphia Eagles center who retired in 2023.
© Getty ImagesHe reiterated his same desire to be with his friends, family and teammates for the foreseeable future before making a decision on his future in the game, wanting to be "a regular human for a couple weeks, maybe a month or so, trying to figure out what I'm gonna do next in terms of my future in football."
"And I think, you know, I've talked to a few people in the facility already, you know, having the exit meetings and everything, and, they know where I stand at least right now."
He did make sure to note he still has "a lot of love for the game," and cited the one thing that would absolutely make his decision easier – his health. "If my body can heal up and rest up 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."
The average retirement age for football players can vary, going from as early as the late 20s to a more generalized range in the mid 30s. Of course, there are the outliers, like Tom Brady continuing until he was 45, and Aaron Rodgers, who is currently playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers at 42.
© Getty ImagesBut a majority of players retire while they're still young and physically capable of doing so, primarily due to the adverse effects of the game on their health, especially when it comes to concussions and physical trauma put on the body.
Many players deal with a condition known as CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), a brain affliction most often caused by repeated head injuries aka many, many tackles. It can lead to mental health issues such as depression and reduced bodily functioning, per Mayo Clinic.
© Getty ImagesVeterans like Rodney Harrison have cited struggles with their body and mental health as reasons for getting out of the game, while in recent months, tragedies have struck players like Rudi Johnson and Marshawn Kneeland, attributed to struggles with their own mental health as well. It just goes to show, you may have love for the game, but the game may not always have love for you.
