Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce has another season ahead, but his post-football career is already on the radar.
Kelce said he’s willing to follow in the footsteps of many other former NFL stars who entered broadcasting after their playing days. The 35-year-old tight end has played 12 seasons in the league, so retirement is on the horizon in the coming years.
“I don’t know, I thought it would always be fun to just jump in there. Player names is where I would get ... ruined,” Kelce added.
If Kelce does take on the new challenge after his career, he would join the likes of Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, and Greg Olsen behind the microphone. For now, Kelce has his own podcast, New Heights, with his brother and former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.
Similar to Travis Kelce, Jason Kelce, 37, enjoyed success on the NFL gridiron amid a Super Bowl win, six first-team All-Pro honors, and seven Pro Bowl appearances.
The older Kelce retired after the 2023 season and delved into broadcasting with his own talk show on ESPN, They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce. In addition, he serves as an analyst with ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown.
Travis Kelce may have a ways to go before he joins his brother in broadcasting. A Super Bowl loss to the Eagles last season kept Kelce motivated to keep playing in 2025.
“It wasn’t a very tough [decision] for me. I know I’m getting older, but at the same time, I still feel like I’ve got a lot that I can prove in this league. It really wasn’t that hard of a decision for me,” Kelce continued.
He still produces but his numbers from last season were lower: 97 catches for 823 yards and three touchdowns. In the playoffs, Kelce had 13 receptions for 175 yards and a touchdown in three games.
Kelce last had a 1,000-yard season in 2022 when he caught 110 passes for 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns. His numbers have declined since.
“I love football,” Kelce explained. “I don’t think I really thought about it that much. My friends and family and the team and the guys and women in this building, I love coming into work every single day.”
Regardless of the on-field results this year, Kelce faces a transitional offseason after 2025. He will reach the end of his two-year, $34.25 million contract after the season.
The Ohio native has spent his entire career with the Chiefs since the team drafted him out of Cincinnati with a third-round pick in 2013. Kelce, a four-time All-Pro and 10-time Pro Bowler, has 1,004 receptions for 12,151 yards and 77 touchdowns in his career.
“The Chiefs’ organization knows how much I love them,” Kelce said. “I can’t see myself ever playing anywhere else, so we'll deal with that down the road when the time is right.”
“But right now, I’m focused on winning a championship this year,” Kelce added.
How he played in the 44–22 Super Bowl defeat against the Eagles still serves as a personal motivator as a leader for the team. Kelce had four catches for 39 yards, and he had two missed targets in the defeat.
“Last year I think I failed especially in that last game in being a leader and being the one that can step up and make plays. So just setting the bar even higher for myself this year than I have in the past,” Kelce said. “Last year wasn’t a success for me and I’m motivated to make sure we get that other ring this year.”
