Caleb Harris
Travis Kelce doesn’t have an answer about when he wants his NFL career to the end, because he really isn’t sure. Despite a media empire with the “New Heights” podcast with his brother, Jason Kelce, and a broadcasting career awaiting him, the 34-year-old tight end has signed a contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs that will keep him for at least at least for the next three seasons.
“I can’t put a time frame on it. I love coming to work every day,” Kelce said after Tuesday’s minicamp session, via team transcript. “Obviously, I know there are opportunities for me outside of football and I think you have to keep in mind that I’m still a kid when I walk into this building.”
Kelce showed no signs of slowing down, even though he fell 16 yards shy of his eighth consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season (he has the NFL tight end record with seven 1,000-yard seasons). Kelce had 93 receptions for 984 yards and five touchdowns last season, his lowest yardage total since 2015 and lowest touchdown total since 2019. The nine-time Pro Bowl tight end was also having his age-34 season, making some if they asked if Kelce was starting to refuse.
The postseason changed that narrative. Kelce finished with 32 catches for 355 yards and three touchdowns as the Chiefs won their third Super Bowl title in five years. This included 11 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown in the AFC Championship game, and nine receptions for 93 yards in Super Bowl LVIII.
The postseason showed that Kelce is still at the top of his game, showing no signs of slowing down. Kelce will try to do this as long as he can.
“I know I’m 34, almost 35, but I love doing this right here in the middle of the June heat. I love coming to work every day and doing this. do this until the wheels fall off,” Kelce said. “I hope that doesn’t happen anytime soon, but I can definitely understand that we’re closer to the end of the road than we are to the beginning.
“I just need to make sure I’m prepared for after football as well.”
There’s still some history to be made for Kelce as he climbs the record books on the all-time tightest list. Kelce has 11,328 yards in his career, just 514 yards away from passing Antonio Gates (11,841) for third all-time. Kelce is 3,800 receiving yards away from passing Tony Gonzalez (15,127) for the most receiving yards by a tight end in NFL history.
Playing four more years at the level Kelce is accustomed to would see him surpass Gonzalez. Kelce is banking on staying at the top of his game and continuing to make big plays in the playoffs with the Chiefs.
“You have a certain focus to prepare yourself each day to get better and better,” Kelce said. “Seeing where the team is now, you have to find a way to play your best from this point on through January and February.
“The road has started and I’m excited about it, but I only know one way and that’s the only way and that’s Andy Reid’s way.”
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