Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce doesn't sound like somebody who's thinking about enjoying a potential walk-off NFL season later this year.
"I love coming to work every single day and doing this, so I am going to do it until the wheels fall off and hopefully that doesn't happen anytime soon,'' Kelce told reporters on Tuesday, per Adam Teicher of ESPN. "I can't put a time frame on it, man."
Kelce turns 35 years old in October and already is a three-time Super Bowl champion and a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. However, he became the NFL's highest-paid player at his position via a new two-year contract this offseason and later indicated he'd like to earn "three more" championship rings before he retires as an active player.
Kelce acknowledged on Tuesday he has "opportunities outside of football" amid his ongoing relationship with entertainment superstar Taylor Swift. He was revealed in April as the host of Amazon’s "Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?" show, and he landed an acting role in the new FX horror series "Grotesquerie."
"I love playing in the NFL and this will always be my main focus, but outside of that, football ends for everybody, so kind of dipping your toes in the water and seeing what you like in different areas in different career fields, I think the offseason is the best chance you can get," Kelce said about embracing non-football-related projects after the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII.
Kelce teased last fall that he thinks about retirement "nonstop," in part because of the numerous physical setbacks he has dealt with during his career. Most recently, a bone bruise/hyperextension in his knee sidelined him for Week 1 of the 2023 season.
"Wear and tear, baby," Kelce added about all that's associated with the grind of yet another NFL campaign. "I'm ready for it, man. Put the load on me.''
As of Tuesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Chiefs as the betting favorites at +550 odds to win Super Bowl LIX. One wonders if Kelce could determine his wheels have fallen off, for good, if he again hoists the Vince Lombardi Trophy in February 2025.
