Travis Kelce On Retirement: I’m Going To Keep Going Until The Wheels Fall Off

At minicamp on Tuesday, Chiefs TE Travis Kelce was asked about the two years remaining on his current contract and if he was considering retirement.

He noted he plans to play until he no longer can despite having opportunities outside of the sport.

“I really can’t put a timeframe on (retirement),” Kelce said, via Nate Taylor. “I love coming to work every single day. I know there’s opportunities for me outside of football. I’m going to keep going until the wheels fall off. Hopefully, that doesn’t happen anytime soon.”

Kelce recently signed a two-year deal with Kansas City in April that has a value of $34.25 million and adds guaranteed money for Kelce in 2024 with additional guarantees vesting next year. 

The contract made Kelce the NFL’s highest-paid tight end in terms of average annual salary and will pay him about $6 million more than he was previously scheduled to make. 

Kelce, 34, is a former third-round pick of the Chiefs out of Cincinnati back in 2013. He was entering the final year of his four-year, $3.126 million rookie contract and set to make a base salary of $675,000 for the 2016 season when he signed a six-year, $46.8 million contract extension. 

He signed another four-year, $57.25 million extension in 2020. Kelce was due base salaries of $12 million and $16.25 million over the final two seasons of that deal. 

In 2023, Kelce appeared in 15 games for the Chiefs and recorded 93 receptions on 121 targets for 984 yards and five touchdowns.

We will have more news on Kelce as it becomes available.