Travis Kelce hopes to play in NFL 'until the wheels fall off'

Travis Kelce, after 10 years in the NFL, sounds like he’s ready to play another decade. Fresh off a Super Bowl championship and back with the Kansas City Chiefs for an 11th season, Kelce isn’t entertaining the thought of retirement just yet.

It’d be a reasonable proposition for a player who turns 34 this year and doesn’t have much left to accomplish, insofar as accolades. But the star tight end is locked in on the 2023 season and beyond. Plus, he laid out his line of demarcation for retirement.

“Until the wheels fall off, baby,” Kelce said, according to Arrowhead Pride’s Pete Sweeney “I love this game, man. I know I’m going to miss it when I’m done playing. I hear you on that, and that’s a business decision I’m sure I’ll have to make at some point in my life, but for right now, I’m in this building wanting to win football games, man.”

Kelce the Chiefs are certainly set up to win plenty more football games. Having all-world quarterback Patrick Mahomes helps, but he needs someone on the receiving end of his passes. Who better than one of the best tight ends ever?

Through 10 seasons of NFL football, Kelce’s resume stacks up as such:

• Two-time Super Bowl champion
• Four-time 1st team All-Pro (2nd team three times)
• Eight Pro Bowl selections
• Fourth all-time among tight ends in receiving yards
• Sixth all-time among tight ends in receiving touchdowns

And Kelce has played in 144 career games. Most of the other all-time tight ends near the top of the list played well over 200 games. If Kelce gets to the 200 game threshold while playing with Mahomes, he could be near or at the top of both of these lists, especially receiving yards. Kelce has 10,344 career receiving yards while Tony Gonzalez tops the list with 15,127. Kelce has crossed the 1000-yard mark for receiving yards in seven-straight seasons and keeping on that pace, he’d need approximately four more seasons to top the all-time list for tight end receiving yards.

Given that 2022 featured career highs in single-season receptions (110) and touchdowns (12) for Kelce, plus 1338 receiving yards, his second-highest total in a season, it seems he’s got plenty in the tank, too.

“I just love the game,” Kelce said. “I think that kind of keeps me living [like] a young, fun-loving football player, you know? I get to play a game for a living at the age of 33, 34, and I don’t want to lose that. I don’t want to lose that excitement that I had for the game when I was a kid, and every single day I get to come in with the best team, the best players, the best coaches in the world — so, it makes it easier if you just come in here and enjoy it.”