Travis Kelce returns for more. At 35 years old, the Kansas City Chiefs’ top tight end will return for one more season. Many players’ workloads tend to decrease as they progress through their careers. A player in his mid-30s is considered elderly in NFL years, as their bodies are severely damaged. It would not be shocking if Kelce’s workload decreased.
If this happens next season, it will not be at Kelce’s wish. During the Chiefs’ media availability, Travis Kelce stated that he hopes to maintain his workload from last season, according to Devon Clements of Heavy.com. In fact, he relishes the “wear and tear” he will endure.
“Wear and tear me, baby.” I am ready for it, man. Kelce said, “Put the load on me.” “I enjoy being answerable to the men and women in this building, Chiefs Kingdom. I like how ‘everyone counts on me to attempt to make a play for the team.’ Just doing the proper things on the field and making better decisions for the team. I don’t think anything from last year put more mileage on me or made me a worse player; I think it was all about focus, being my own worst critic, and capitalizing on opportunities that I should have had.”
How does Andy Reid, Chiefs head coach, feel about this? Reid made a cheeky remark about Kelce’s request.
“I’m not sure if we’ll back off on his time. We can assist him in becoming exhausted if he so desires.
Kelce, Chiefs’ Future Outlook
Kelce has been an integral part of the Chiefs offense since he was chosen in 2013. He’s consistently been one of the league’s best tight ends. Because of his route-running skills and ability to read defenses, he frequently finds himself vulnerable in critical moments. However, as he grew older, Kelce gradually began to establish himself as one of the best tight ends of all time.
Since Patrick Mahomes joined the Chiefs in 2017, the team has boasted the best quarterback-tight end combination since Brady-Gronkowski. They appear to have always been in tune. Kelce has received numerous All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. Kelce has also won three Super Bowl rings over the last half-decade, including back-to-back victories in 2022 and 2023. It’s apparent that the tight end is still doing well.
That said, the question of Kelce’s retirement will linger until he finally hangs it up for good. His older brother, Jason, retired at the age of 37 this offseason. While tight end is not as physically demanding as center, Kelce’s body is nonetheless subjected to significant wear and tear. In recent years, he has been the Chiefs’ number one or number two player.
Kelce appears to be able to continue playing for a few more years, which is encouraging. Kelce missed a few games due to injuries during the 2023 regular season. As a result, he had his lowest yards since 2015 with 984. Still, there are enough reasons to believe the Chiefs’ star can still play. We’ll see how excellent he is as Kansas City strives for the elusive three-peat.