Travis Kelce all but admitted this week he is contemplating retiring after 12 NFL seasons. Apparently, the Kansas City Chiefs don’t want to wait very long for his decision.
The star tight end just played in his third consecutive Super Bowl and, at age 35, he has not much left to accomplish in what is sure to be a Hall of Fame career.
Well, the Chiefs have reportedly given him a soft deadline of “around March 14” to make his decision, according to The Athletic.
The date makes sense, as it’s two days after free agency officially begins, but arguably more importantly, his $11.5 million roster bonus is due the next day.
A report from NFL.com on Super Bowl eve said Kelce was “expected to take time after the Super Bowl, consider his future and make a decision before free agency.”
On the latest episode of his “New Heights” podcast he co-hosts with his future Hall of Fame brother Jason, he said he is “kicking every can I can down the road.”
“I am not making any crazy decisions, but right now the biggest thing is just being there for my teammates and being there for my coaches, understanding there’s a lot that goes into this thing. I’ve been fortunate over the past five, six years, I’ve played more football than anybody,” Kelce said. “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. 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,” he added. “Right now, it was one of those things where it was driving me crazy this year. It happens as you tail off toward the back nine of your career.”
With the Chiefs’ success over the last eight seasons, Kelce has played 25 playoff games, adding nearly a season and half worth of games to the 175 regular-season games he has played in his career.
Clips of Kelce’s apparent lack of effort in the Super Bowl have gone viral, with fans thinking he’s rather checked out.
Among tight ends in NFL history, Kelce ranks third in catches (1,004) and yards (12,151) and fifth in touchdowns (77). That comes despite 11 tight ends, including those ahead of him in those prior categories, playing more games than him. For reference, Tony Gonzalez, who leads in catches and yards, played in 270 games, 95 more than Kelce.
However, it’s clear that he’s not his All-Pro self anymore. This season marked the first time since 2015 in which Kelce played in at least 16 games and failed to reach the 1,000-yard mark. He also scored only three touchdowns in the regular season, the lowest mark of his career outside his one-game rookie season where he didn’t take an offensive snap before undergoing knee surgery.
If Super Bowl LIX was the final time fans saw Kelce on the field, it’s certainly the end of a legendary career. Kelce has made 10 Pro Bowls and was either a First- or Second-Team All-Pro seven times.
Fox News’ Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
The post Chiefs give Travis Kelce deadline on decision to retire: report appeared first on Fox News.
