Travis Kelce Clears Stance on His Future After Andy Reid Addressed Struggles With Chiefs

Following his contract extension in June, Travis Kelce said that he would play in the NFL “until the wheels fall off.” Then a few months later in September, it was reported he sees himself playing for at least two more years. Since then there has been speculation over his future, which intensified after his below-par start to the new season. However, following the Week 14 win over the Chargers he completed another major milestone.

He became the fastest tight end in NFL history to reach 12k receiving yards doing so in 172 games. He did it faster than the Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, who held the previous record at 210 games. When his brother, Jason brought this up, Travis was surprised to know that Gonzalez played that many games in the first place and dropped a hint about his own future in the league.

The Chiefs have been reliant on Travis Kelce for some time, but this season there has been a noticeable shift. He has recorded just 682 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games lowest output since 2015. Meanwhile, Noah Gray has emerged as a more reliable option with four TDs this season. Hence, Kelce may call it a day sooner rather than later and he suggested that he may just have a couple of more seasons left in him.

Talking about the number of games Gonzalez took to get to 12,000 yards, Travis Kelce said, “Goddamn, [Gonzalez] played 210 games? What the f***?” on the New Heights podcast on Wednesday. Jason was quick to remind him, “Well, he played more than that… it took him 210 games to get to 12,000.” Travis was surprised that Gonzalez played in 21o games, which according to him is too much.

“I don’t know if I can… that’s almost 40 more games. I don’t know if I can play 40 more!” Travis retorted. Jason again chimed in to say, “Listen, that’s a lot more games. He got 15,000 [yards]!” Gonzalez played in a total of 272 games, which is 100 more than Travis.

To reach that landmark, Travis will have to play five more seasons, but going by his surprise at 210 games, it doesn’t seem likely. Travis stating he may not play in 40 more NFL games gives him two more full seasons at maximum, as the Chiefs would need to play in at least 20 games to reach a Super Bowl.

The 9x Pro Bowler signed a 2-year $34.25 million extension with the Kansas City Chiefs this off-season and became the highest-paid player in his position. His contract runs through the 2025 season. After watching the podcast, it won’t be surprising if he decides to hang up his cleats after the 2025 season.

via Imago

Before the start of the season, Kelce said, “I really can’t put a timeframe on (retirement). I love coming to work every single day. Obviously, I know there’s opportunities outside of football for me.” His brother Jason, who retired from the NFL in March, has since become a football analyst with ESPN. It is possible that similar opportunities will be out there for Travis once he retires.

Travis is also the host of Prime Video’s ‘Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity?’ which suggests a future in showbiz, which might be a serious option given his relationship with Taylor Swift.

One would say that Kelce has regressed quite a lot this year. Shouldn’t he have more responsibilities on his shoulders since the Kansas City Chiefs missed major players like Rashee Rice, Isaiah, and Hollywood Brown? Luckily, Andy Reid has an answer to that question.

Andy Reid opens up about Travis Kelce

Despite achieving such a massive feat, Travis Kelce might not be able to achieve his usual numbers. The TE constantly had thousand-yard seasons from 2016 to 2022 and those numbers started plummeting since. That’s because Kelce’s utility has dropped quite a lot this season. Or has it? Last year, the 3x Super Bowl winner had 85 receptions through 13 games, and this year, it’s 80. So, you see his utility hasn’t dropped as much.

via Reuters

Well, Reid was also addressing DeAndre Hopkins in the same breath as Kelce, hence, “They.” Hopkins also had 3 receptions over 29 yards in the Bills game. Maybe Kelce’s performance seems a bit off because we expect way more from a 3x Super Bowl winner. But Patrick Mahomes hasn’t had a lot of receiver options this year. Travis Kelce is doing whatever it takes to help his team win, whether it be blocking or running routes. With his run with the Chiefs to continue at least till 2026, Kelce will be looking to end things on a high note, and what better way to stamp your legacy than with a 3-peat?