Travis Kelce Talks Possible Retirement As He Reflects On His Age Ahead Of NFL Season

As Travis Kelce prepares for another season with the Kansas City Chiefs, he is taking a moment to reflect on his NFL career, recognizing his age and noting that he has been playing in the league for over a decade.

Travis was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and he has been with the team ever since.

Now, as the Chiefs begin their season at home against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, September 5, Travis Kelce is looking back at his 12 years in the NFL.

In the latest episode of the "New Heights" podcast, hosted by him and his brother Jason Kelce, the three-time Super Bowl champ discussed his thoughts on starting another year in the league.

"Man, time flies," the Chiefs star told his brother. "I mean, reading 12 seasons, I feel old as f-ck. But today in practice I felt like I was flying.”

His brother, who is starting a new career as a broadcaster on "Monday Night Countdown" following his retirement, commented on how Travis's looks are aging well.

“Your mustache makes it look older too,” the 36-year-old said. “There's something about a mustache that makes you look seasoned. In a good way, though. Like, it makes you look, like, powerful.”

With his brother, Jason, retiring after 13 seasons, many quickly speculated if Travis would follow suit--but he isn't ready to give up his sports career just yet.

In fact, Travis Kelce and his close friend and teammate Patrick Mahomes are looking to take home the Lombardi Trophy three years in a row.

"I think the excitement of the challenge of this year, being able to maybe do it a third time in a row, I think that alone was all I needed," Travis said on the "Rich Eisen Show" on Tuesday. "That was an instant thought, so there was really not a chance in hell that I wasn’t coming back this year."

With several personal commitments, including supporting his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, at the Eras Tour and securing a $100 million deal with Amazon for his "New Heights" podcast with his brother, some are speculating that it might be time for Travis to retire, but he says otherwise.

“Physically, I feel just as good, if not more ready than I have been in years past just because you get more comfortable with your body,” Travis said, per Fox. “You learn things from the mistakes you’ve made in years past.”

The 34-year-old tight end then acknowledged that his body is aging and continues to go through more NFL seasons, meaning he hasn’t dismissed the idea of adjusting or incorporating new elements into his routine to maintain peak physical condition.

“We’ll see what challenges occur throughout the season. I think I’ve caught a good routine and a good groove of makings sure that I’m at peak athletic ability to go out there and perform every single week," he said. "You just never know the know the nicks and the bumps and bruises that you get throughout the season, you might have to pick up something along the way.”

However, with his deep passion for the game and strong motivation, Travis acknowledges that the idea of retirement is a tough topic to consider.

“I just love football and how it takes me away from life and it gives me something I can feel genuinely happy about,” Travis added. “I enjoy coming in the building, working on my craft, getting to understand a new game plan and perfecting that for the people around me. It gives me a purpose to kind of go about my day and to live my life, and I just have so much excitement doing it.

“It’s going to be hard trying to figure out when to call it quits or not.”

The 2024-2025 NFL season begins on Thursday, September 5, with Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Baltimore Ravens.

Taylor Swift is rumored to attend.