Photo by Kara Durrette/Getty Images
If Kelce wins another ring there’s nowhere left to go.
If Kansas City win their third Super Bowl in five years you’re going to be hearing one word a whole lot: Retirement. Rumors about Andy Reid’s future in the NFL have picked up steam as the playoffs have progressed, and it’s understandable for the 65-year-old coach.
Perhaps it’s time we also discuss the future of the most famous player on the team: Travis Kelce.
Patrick Mahomes helped build the foundation for the Chiefs’ success, but Kelce has always been its glue. The tight end has been the team’s most reliable weapon, its biggest receiving threat, and its biggest edge from the moment Mahomes landed in Kansas City. The Mahomes/Kelce connection is one of the greatest we’ve ever seen between a quarterback and tight end, rivaling that of Tony Romo/Jason Witten or Philip Rivers/Antonio Gates among players who spent the majority of their careers together.
Kelce may have been a Pro Bowler before Mahomes arrived, but the pair took each other to the stratosphere. Without Mahomes or Kelce there is no way the Chiefs win three Super Bowls. The question then becomes: What’s left?
The possibility of Kelce retirement came up in his Super Bowl interviews, with Travis basically saying he’s not ready to think about it yet.
That said, there are a lot of good reasons to consider hanging it up. Like it or not, Kelce is in the tail-end of his career. He was an older prospect when he entered the NFL at the age of 24 in 2013, and despite only showing small signs of a slowdown, there really isn’t any reason for Kelce to retire due to performance. There are, however, many reasons to hang it all up after a Super Bowl win.
There’s nothing left to achieve
Travis Kelce is a first ballot Hall of Fame lock already. There is no debate, there’s no discussion. He will be in Canton as soon as his time comes. With over 11,000 career receiving yards, 74 touchdowns, and two rings, nobody will any kind of football smarts will argue against Kelce being enshrined.
If Kelce were to continue playing there’s nothing to really aim for. Kelce would undoubtably pass Gates for third in the all-time yards list by a tight end, but he’s almost 2,000 yards off Witten’s No. 2 spot, and honestly it seems impossible that he could eclipse Tony Gonzalez’s 15,127 yard mark. Even with Kelce’s remarkable production he’d need four more seasons at his current average, playing until the age of 39 to hit that mark — and that assumes he won’t have any drop in production.
Let’s be real: Nobody really cares who is 2nd or 3rd on an all-time list. It’s neat, but Gates or Witten would trade their place for a heartbeat for Super Bowl rings — which Kelce has already achieved.
If Andy Reid hangs it up there will be growing pains
The Chiefs have a structure in place that would allow them to withstand complete collapse if Reid were to retire. Already in the mix they have Steve Spagnuolo, who could be ready for his second stint as an NFL head coach after doing amazing work with the KC defense, and long-time special teams coach Dave Toub has long been considered a potential heir apparent.
That said, it wouldn’t be seamless. For someone like Patrick Mahomes a shift would be fine. He’s only 28-years-old, and could easily weather a season or two of lagging results to get back on track. This isn’t the case for Kelce. At what point are are the practices, the toll on your body, the mounting injuries worth trying to help a team transition to a new era?
We more or less circle back to the first point here: The man has nothing left to prove.
Yes, there is a Taylor Swift factor
Like it or not, this is absolutely an element that would play a role here. It’s equally critical in a future decision when two people are trying to have a relationship with the incredible weight of their schedules.
Taylor has commitments all over the world. A lot of 2023 came together, but it won’t always be so easy. If these two are planning to have a long-term, healthy, committed relationship — then being apart for the majority of the year just isn’t conducive to that.
This isn’t about Kelce needing to “sacrifice his career,” because he’s done it all. At this point he can kick back, travel the world, record New Heights with Jason and have a ball. Travis Kelce is a smart damn man, and he’s already been setting up a life after football. Maybe it’s just time to walk through that door?
There’s something beautiful about Jason and Travis retiring in the same season
The mythos of the Kelce brothers has blossomed to ludicrous levels over the last two years. Heck, their match up in the 2023 Super Bowl propelled Mamma Kelce to a household name.
While Jason is two years senior, these two guys will forever be linked by blood and fame. Having both the Kelce’s leave the NFL would be unforgettable for both of them, and it’s clear they have a bright future in broadcasting, entertainment, whatever they want to do next.
Should Travis Kelce retire if the Chiefs win?
This is a pretty simple questions as far as I’m concerned that has two elements.
Did the Chiefs win the Super Bowl in 2024?
Did Andy Reid decide to retire?
If the answer to both of these is “yes,” then Travis should protect his body, hang it up, and live an amazing life after football. If Kansas City doesn’t win, then Reid likely returns to try and run it back — at that point I think it’s worth returning as well. If the band keeps playing, play with them. If it starts to crumble, walk away.
We’ll have to wait and see what happens after Super Bowl Sunday.
