Travis Kelce has opened up about the “wear and tear” his body has endured throughout his glittering NFL career which has been subject to retirement rumors following Sunday’s Super Bowl loss.
Speaking on his and brother Jason Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast Wednesday, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, 35, said whichever decision he makes about his future has to be a “wholehearted” one.
“There’s a lot to go into this thing,” the 3-time Super Bowl champ said. “I’ve been fortunate over the past five to six years that I’ve played more football than anybody.”
“The fact that we keep going to these AFC Championships and Super Bowls, that means I’m playing an extra three games more than everybody else in the entire league,” he went on. “That’s a lot of wear and tear on your body.”
“It’s a lot of time in the building …. That process can be grueling. It can weigh on you. It can make you better and it can drive you crazy. Right now, it was one of those things where it was driving me crazy this year. It happens as you tail off towards the back nine of your career,” he said.
The NFL star — who on Sunday set a new record for the most catches in Super Bowl history — detailed the “tough reality” he’s been faced with.
“As you see yourself or feel yourself not have this success that you once used to have, it’s a tough pill to swallow,” he said. “To not be there in the biggest moments, knowing your team is counting on you, those are all extremely hard things — it’s just a tough reality.”
Still, Travis — who has been with the Chiefs since 2013 — refused to say if he’s hanging up his cleats for good.
“I’m going to take some time to figure it out,” he said. “I think I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back it’s going to be something that — it’s a wholehearted decision.”
“I’m not half-assing it. I’m fully here for them and I think I can play. It’s just whether or not I’m motivated or if it’s the best decision for me as a man, as a human, as a person to take on all that responsibility,” he added.
“Preaching to the choir,” former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason chimed in, who retired last March after 13 seasons in the NFL.
Elsewhere in the episode, Travis touched on his team’s disappointing performance that saw the Birds emerge victorious over the Chiefs 40-22.
“Just wasn’t our day,” Kelce said. “Couldn’t find a lick of momentum. I’m kicking myself for some of the tiny, tiny decisions I made on the field.”
“I wasn’t the best that I could be in motivating my guys and keeping my guys calm, cool and collected and I put a lot of that on myself, you know, as the guy that’s been in the building for 12 years and seen a lot of football and seen a situation just like this, in the Super Bowl.”
