Chiefs TE Travis Kelce gives latest update on his football-playing future, confirms he won’t do a Kobe Bryant ‘farewell tour’
Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce was asked about his expiring contract and potential retirement on Friday.
Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce is focused on winning a football game in Week 12 against the Indianapolis Colts, but he also holds no illusions about where he’s at in his NFL career.
When asked about his expiring contract and his future in the NFL on Friday, the 36-year-old gave the latest update on where his head is with his playing career. While he won’t be thinking about his contract, retirement, and more until after the 2025 NFL season concludes, he already has a clear idea of his decision timeline.
“I think, seeing my brother go through it and seeing, I don’t know, just how the league works, the season kind of restarts in April,” Kelce said. “And I want to give the Chiefs a good opportunity to, whether I come back or not, and vice versa, like whether they want me back or not. It’s one of those things where I’d like to make that decision before they got to get draft picks and the free agency opens, so that it gives them an opportunity to go out there and fill the roster appropriately. So all that will be at the end of the season, and I won’t be thinking about it until then.”
Ultimately, it all boils down to the team and making sure he doesn’t put them in a bad position when it comes to free agency and the NFL draft. Even when considering life after football, Kelce is putting the Chiefs first in his decision.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce won’t be announcing a “farewell tour” like late NBA star Kobe Bryant
Ahead of the 2015-2016 NBA season, Lakers legend Kobe Bryant announced that he’d be retiring at the end of the season. He went on a “farewell tour” of sorts, culminating in an epic 60-point performance in his last game as a professional. Asked whether he’d got the route of Bryant, Travis Kelce showed his admiration for the legendary NBA star, but confirmed he’d be going out a little bit differently in retirement.
“Listen, I love Kobe, man,” Kelce said. “I love him. I love everything about him, man, but that’s not me. I’d like to take it day by day, year by year, and just evaluate it like that.”
The “farewell tour” sounds good in theory, but in practice, it’s simply not Travis Kelce. He doesn’t want to make it a spectacle, but wants to make sure that he makes the right decision for himself, his team, and his family.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce quick facts
- Former third-round draft pick in the 2013 NFL Draft out of Cincinnati.
- 3-time Super Bowl champion (LIV, LVII, LVIII)
- 7-time All-Pro and 10-time Pro Bowler
- NFL’S 2010s All-Decade Team
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