The Kansas City Chiefs have reportedly been contemplating Travis Kelce’s future, and not just because he got engaged to Taylor Swift.
Kelce is planning to spend the rest of his life with the 35-year-old singer. The pair announced their engagement Tuesday afternoon, thought the tight end reportedly popped the question “a couple of weeks ago.”
As for the Chiefs’ relationship with Kelce, 35, that seemingly has a much shorter shelf life. There were some who wondered if Kelce would step away from football following last season, but the future Hall of Famer ultimately opted to return after falling short in Super Bowl 59.
“I still feel like I can play at a high level and possibly at a higher level than I did last year,” Kelce said earlier this year after saying he’d be back. “I don’t think it was my best outing, you know? I think I let my guys down in a lot more moments than I helped them, especially if you look at my track record and how I’ve been in years past. You know, I want to give it a good run. I got a bad taste in my mouth about how I ended the year and how well I was playing, and how accountable I was for the people around me.”
While Kelce is locked in for 2025, the Chiefs reportedly do not expect him to play beyond that.
They’re preparing for this season to be the 2013 NFL Draft pick’s last.
A farewell for an all-time great?
On the same day Kelce and Swift revealed their big news, ESPN’s Nate Taylor published a lengthy feature article on Patrick Mahomes’ top receiver.
In it, Taylor noted that members of the Kansas City brass believe this will be Kelce’s swan song.
“Since he announced his return to the Chiefs in late February, all signs have pointed to the 2025 season being Kelce’s last,” Taylor wrote. “Since June, Kelce, who is in the final year of his contract, has spoken about his future with the team through only this season. Several members of the Chiefs’ organization, including in the front office and business department, are coy to use the word “retirement,” but they have already expressed their appreciation for Kelce’s importance to the franchise and have said they hope to experience plenty of joy while cherishing his performances.”
Is this it for No. 87?
Of course, Taylor’s report doesn’t guarantee that Kelce will hang up his cleats, but the signs are definitely there.
He’s unsigned beyond this season, is in his mid-30s and just got engaged to one of the biggest celebrities in the world. That doesn’t align with several more years of trying to play football at the highest level.
If this is Kelce’s final season, try to enjoy it. The dude is one of the best we’ve ever seen at the tight end position.
