‘I pulled the trigger’ – Travis Kelce hints at exact retirement date as deciding factor in extending playing career revealed

Travis Kelce has unfinished business in the NFL.

The Kansas City Chiefs great was considering retirement after a heartbreaking Super Bowl defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Kelce was not at his best last seasonCredit: Getty
But he will return next season and attempt to set the record straight.

Speaking to brother Jason on the latest episode of their New Heights podcast, Kelce admitted ‘I let my guys down’ after struggling to match his usual levels last season.

He also said that he felt he had a ‘responsibility’ to see out his current contract and would likely have returned to the field even if the Chiefs had sealed their unprecedented three-peat with victory.

“It was probably the biggest factor,” the 35-year-old admitted when asked if losing to the Eagles impacted his decision. He called the defeat an “all-time low.”

Jason asked if Travis would have walked off into the sunset if the Chiefs secured a third-successive Vince Lombardi Trophy.

“I mean, it’s a pretty cool way to go out, but I think I would still have this love for the game,” the tight end insisted.

“The biggest thing is that I f****** love playing the game of football. I love playing,” he admitted. “I still think I can play it at a high level, and possibly at a higher level than I did last year.

Kelce’s current deal runs out at the end of the 2025 season, suggesting Kelce may well call time on his Hall of Fame career after having one more shot at glory.

Including the postseason, he had 110 catches for 998 yards and four touchdowns.

They are respectable numbers but some way shy of his usual production.

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Brother Jason is loving life since leaving the NFLCredit: Getty

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Patrick Mahomes and Kelce will run it back in 2025Credit: Reuters
“I don’t think it was my best outing,” Kelce added. “I think I let my guys down in a lot more moments than I helped them, especially if you look at my track record and how I’ve been in years past.

“I got a bad taste in my mouth for how I ended the year and how well I was playing and how accountable I was for the people around me.”

Kelce has not topped 1,000 yards in either of the least two regular seasons — the first time he hasn’t done so since his sophomore season in 2015.

Asked how he made the decision, the Ohio native said he went with his gut.

“It’s just off a feel. I’m not a big measure the pros and cons [guy],” he explained. “Pure gut feeling… I pulled the trigger as soon as I knew that feeling.”

There are plenty of options on the table for the Chiefs great when he does decide to call it a day after he leveraged his relationship with Taylor Swift to reach a new level of fame.

Thanks to their podcast and endorsements, both of the Kelce brothers are set for life.

Jason’s wife Kylie is a personality in her own right and Travis has been doing some acting in his downtime.

His cameo in hotly-anticipated Adam Sander sequel Happy Gilmore 2 will be released this year.

The Kelce family have four Super Bowl rings thanks to Travis’ three triumphs and Jason’s victory with the Eagles in 2018.

Their mom wore a half-and-half jersey as Travis beat his brother to the trophy in 2023 before Philadelphia took revenge in February

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