Travis Kelce’s storied NFL career continues.
The Kansas City Chiefs star has confirmed he will not retire after 12 years in the league.
“I’m coming back, for sure,” Kelce, 35, told Pat McAfee McAfee in a text that was read on the air on the latter’s self-titled ESPN show Thursday.
“Gonna try and get to the best shape I’ve been this offseason and get back to the mountaintop. Got a real bad taste in my mouth with how I played in that last game and how I got the guys ready for battle. I can’t go out like that!!!!”
The announcement comes weeks after Kelce came up short in his quest to win three consecutive Super Bowls.
Although the tight end won the title in 2023 and 2024, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Chiefs 40-22 in the big game on Feb. 9.
Following the “tough” loss, Kelce teased his retirement plans during an episode of his “New Heights” podcast.
“I know everybody wants to know whether or not I’m playing next year,” he told his brother and co-host, Jason Kelce, who retired from football in March 2024.
“Right now, I’m just kicking everything down the road. … I’m not making any crazy decisions, but right now, the biggest thing is just being there for my teammates and being there for my coaches, understanding that there’s a lot goes into this thing.”
However, at 35, Travis acknowledged that Father Time wasn’t helping with all the “wear and tear” on his body.
“It’s a lot of time spent in the building focusing on your craft, focusing on the task at hand, every challenge that you set up for yourself, and that process can be grueling. It can weigh on you,” he said.
The athlete emphasized that the all-in mindset can take its toll after so many years.
“I think that it happens as you kind of tail off toward the back nine of your career … as you see yourself or not feel yourself have the success that you once used to have. Man, it’s a tough pill to swallow.
“And then on top of that, to not be there in the biggest moments, knowing your team’s counting on you, man … it’s just a tough reality.”
However, the “Grotesquerie” star said he ultimately wanted to do what was best for both him and the Chiefs organization.
“I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back then it’s going to be something that is a wholehearted decision; I’m not half-assing it,” he said.
“I’m fully here for them. I think I can play — whether or not I’m motivated and it’s the best decision for me as a man, as a human, as a person to take on all that responsibility.”
Travis was the Chiefs’ third-round pick in the 2013 draft and spent his entire career with the Missouri-based team.
The 10-time Pro Bowler won four championships with the franchise, breaking over a dozen records during his tenure.
