Kansas City’s All-Pro tight end dismisses retirement — and discusses his mentality for 2024.
Even at 34, the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce remains one of the league’s premier players.
As discussions about his life after football gain momentum — fueled by the physical beating he’s taken on the field and his budding endeavors off of it — his retirement seems to be more and more likely. But as he enters his twelfth NFL season, Kelce isn’t focused on that.
“I really can’t put a time frame on it,” Kelce of his potential retirement on Tuesday. “I love coming to work every single day. Obviously, I know there are opportunities outside of football for me, but I think you’ve got to keep in perspective that I’m still a little kid when I come into this building.
“I know I’m 34 years old — about to be 35 — but I have a love to do this right here in the middle of the heat and in June. I love coming to work every single day and doing this. So I’m going to do it until the wheels fall off — and hopefully that doesn’t happen anytime soon.
“I can definitely understand that it’s [closer to] the end of the road than it is the beginning of it. I’ve just got to make sure I’m set up for after football as well.”
Talk about his potential retirement is also fueled by last season’s dip in performance. While his production was still among the league’s best at his position, it did not meet his own standards. His 65.6 yards per game represented his lowest output since 2015 — and his 984 total receiving yards ended his streak of consecutive 1,000-yard seasons at seven.
During the offseason, Kelce allowed himself to reflect and recharge from last season’s grind. While this allowed him to explore his opportunities outside of the NFL, it doesn’t change who he is.
“I’m a football player,” he declared. “I love playing in the NFL. This will always be my main focus. Outside of that, football ends for everybody. So dipping your toes in the water and seeing what you like in different areas and different career fields, I think offseason is the best chance you can get to try and explore that — and set yourself up for after football.”
Injuries and the physical toll of the NFL have also played a part in Kelce’s decline. As usual, though, he chooses to brush it aside.
Travis Kelce forever pic.twitter.com/UJoWgIjPnl— Chiefs Studios (@ArrowheadPride) June 11, 2024
“Wear and tear me, baby!” he exclaimed. “I’m ready for it, man. Put the load on me. I love being accountable for the men and women in this building and Chiefs Kingdom. I love the aspect of everybody counting on me to try and make that play for the team — and just do the right things out there on the field.”
Nor does Kelce buy into the idea that the way last season played out worked against him,
“I don’t think that anything from last year put more miles on me or made me less of a player. I think it was just focus, being my own worst critic, and capitalizing on situations that I should have.”
Kelce’s main goal remains the same as everyone else in the organization: winning a third straight Super Bowl. The veteran tight end knows three-peating won’t be easy — and the team’s best chance to do it is to break it down into smaller, more attainable goals.
This means Kansas City may find itself on a path similar to the one it followed in 2023.
“I think everybody’s pretty motivated to keep the mentality that we had last year,” revealed the tight end. “We didn’t get to back-to-back [championships] by always talking back-to-back. We got there by trying to figure out, ‘What’s the best way to get better from last week and yesterday?
“I think that mentality is key in something like this. You can’t get too far down the road. Obviously, there’s a goal set. But there’s a bunch of them that are set before that — like trying to win the division, trying to get first place in the AFC. Those kinds of things are more attainable right now than thinking about the three-peat at the end of the year.”
https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2024/6/12/24176881/chiefs-news-travis-kelce-isnt-ready-to-retire?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger
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