After weeks of rumors that Travis Kelce might retire from the Kansas City Chiefs, an NFL insider offered an optimistic insight into his future on the team.
Travis Kelce might wear his jersey for another fortnight.
Over a week after the Kansas City Chiefs star and his teammates were defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles in the Feb. 9 Super Bowl, NFL reporter Dianna Russini addressed rumors that the 35-year-old will retire soon.
“I can tell you from just having a few conversations with people around the league over the last few days,” Russini, who’s also an insider for The Athletic, said in a Feb. 20 interview on The Rich Eisen Show, “there’s definitely a sense that Travis is going to try to play more.”
In fact, the journalist also noted that Travis—who’s served as the Chiefs’ tight end since 2013—hasn’t been anxious about the future of his career, saying, “I haven’t heard anyone say, ‘Yeah, he’s really struggling with what he wants to do.’ It’s definitely leaning more toward that.”
While that optimism sounds promising, Russini added his thoughts on retirement “can change.”
“This is going to be his decision,” she clarified. “But for this Chiefs’ operation looking to move forward here, I think they feel pretty good that Travis has got a little bit more left in him.”
Russini’s words come nearly a week after Travis shared his thoughts on potentially securing his final touchdown. In a Feb. 12 episode of his New Heights podcast, he said he’s not rushing to make any permanent decisions at the moment.
“I know everybody wants to know whether or not I’m playing next year, and right now I’m just kicking everything down the road,” he told his co-host and brother Jason Kelce, who retired from the Philadelphia Eagles last March. “I’m kicking every can I can down the road, and I’m not making any crazy decisions.”
Russini isn’t the only insider that’s hinted Travis could play for a few more seasons. Shortly after the Chiefs’ devastating championship loss earlier this month, Patrick Mahomes noted his teammate “knows he still has a lot of football left in him.”
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“You can see it,” the quarterback, 29, said of Travis’ ambition at the time. “He always makes plays in the biggest moments, but it’s if he wants to put in that grind because it’s a grind to go out there and play 20 games and get to the Super Bowl. He’s done enough to be a gold jacket guy and a first-ballot Hall of Famer.”
Meanwhile, Travis said his biggest cheerleader—girlfriend Taylor Swift—is also “encouraging him to enjoy playing this game.”
Keep reading to see more iconic moments in the tight end’s football career….
