Taylor Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce has starred for the Kansas City Chiefs during a lengthy career, but questions have been asked about the 35-year-old’s long-term future
Travis Kelce with his girlfriend Taylor Swift (Image: Getty Images)
Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce has admitted the thought of retirement has crossed his mind, though girlfriend Taylor Swift could be left disappointed if he goes ahead with the decision.
Kelce, 35, was part of the Chiefs side denied a Super Bowl three-peat on Sunday. The tight end has spent more than a decade with the franchise, winning the showpiece in 2020, 2023 and 2024, but fell short against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
He signed a two-year extension in 2024, theoretically ensuring he will be on the Chiefs’ books until the end of the next NFL season. After the latest setback, though, he has admitted he is considering his options.
Kelce and Swift have been an item since 2023, and the musician is said to be a big fan of watching her boyfriend on the field. Swift was spotted by the cameras during the recent Super Bowl in New Orleans, and will no doubt have her own feelings about Kelce’s retirement decision.
According to People Magazine (via Marca), citing an unnamed source, “[Swift] truly loves watching Travis do his thing on the football field.” She isn’t the only one, with Kelce indicating there’s plenty of intrigue when it comes to what he does next.
“I know everybody wants to know whether I’m playing next year and, right now, I’m just kicking everything down the road,” he told the New Heights podcast, which he co-hosts with his brother Jason. “I’m kicking every can I can down the road. I’m not making any crazy decisions. I’ve been fortunate over the past five, six years I’ve played more football than anybody.”
Elder brother Jason, 37, announced his retirement in March 2024. And, while Travis has kept going, he pointed to the extra strain placed on his body by three successive playoffs appearances after the regular season.
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Travis Kelce and the Chiefs lost this year’s Super Bowl (Image:
AP)
“The fact that we keep going to these AFC championships and these Super Bowls, that means I’m playing an extra three games more than everybody else in the entire league,” he added. “That’s a lot of wear and tear on your body.”
“I think I owe it to my team-mates that if I do come back, it’s going to be a whole-hearted decision. Not half-assing it. I’m fully here for them and I think I could play. It’s just whether or not I’m motivated or it’s the best decision for me as a man, as a human and as a person to take on all of that responsibility.”
The comments come after a disappointing Super Bowl on a personal and team level. The Chiefs didn’t get on the scoreboard at all during the first half, and eventually fell to a 40-22 defeat.
“I’m kicking myself for some of the tiny, tiny decisions I made on the field,” Kelce said. “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.”
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