Before the Kansas City Chiefs secured a Super Bowl LIX matchup versus the Philadelphia Eagles, NFL analysts and fans wondered if Kansas City star tight end and three-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce could retire at the end of this season.
For a piece published Friday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler explained why he’d “bet” that Kelce is not about to play the final game of his historic career.
“Kelce’s 97 catches in 2024 marked his seventh consecutive season of 90 receptions or more, and he remains a fundamental piece of coach Andy Reid’s offense,” Fowler noted. “His 117-yard outing against the Texans in the divisional playoff round shows he can still turn it on when it matters most.”
In the early days of what’s become Kelce’s lengthy relationship with entertainment superstar Taylor Swift, he revealed that he thought about retirement “nonstop” and “more than anyone could ever imagine.” With that said the generational talent who turned 35 years old this past October was seemingly rejuvenated by Kansas City’s Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers roughly one year ago.
Kelce hinted last spring that he wanted to try to match the six championship rings that Michael Jordan earned while with the Chicago Bulls during the 1990s. The future first-ballot Hall of Famer, who has embraced numerous off-the-field endeavors, has also repeatedly discussed how much he enjoys “coming to work” with the Chiefs.
An earlier January story by ESPN’s Adam Teicher mentioned that Kelce was “at the Chiefs’ practice facility [last offseason] more than [quarterback Patrick Mahomes] expected, given Kelce’s many offseason projects.”
Kelce signed a new two-year contract in April 2024 that reset the market for players at the position. While he certainly isn’t hurting for money, that deal could give him millions of reasons to enjoy a “Last Dance” with the Chiefs through next winter.
“Kelce’s chemistry with Mahomes is also difficult to quantify — his presence frees things up for Kansas City’s talented receiving corps in ways that are not always perceptible,” Fowler added. “Plus, Kelce is under contract for 2025 and stands to collect $17.25M. Even with a potential acting career in his future, it would be tough for Kelce to walk away from that kind of cash as well as a chance at a possible four-peat.“
As of Friday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had Kelce fourth among the betting favorites at +1500 odds to claim the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award on Feb. 9. Perhaps leaving Caesars Superdome with that trophy in hand would be enough for Kelce to decide it’s time to ride off into the sunset of retirement.
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