You can't deny it: Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is getting up there in age.
While his game is still sharp, the future Hall of Famer will turn 36 in the fall—practically a fossil in NFL terms. We know Kelce is returning for another go in 2025-26, but beyond that, everybody's wondering when he plans to hang it up.
Well, on Thursday, close friend and teammate Patrick Mahomes offered fans a breadcrumb of information in that regard.
Asked about Kelce's motivation to "make it count" this season should it truly be his "last ride," Mahomes told reporters that, at this stage, No. 87 certainly isn't acting like someone who is planning on leaving the sport any time soon.
"If it's the last ride, you would never know," the quarterback said during media availability. "I mean, the way he's talking about football, the way he's talking about working and trying to be even better this year than he was last year. He doesn't seem like a guy that it's his last ride, like he's tired of the job.
"He's in here, he's working, and I know his body feels good. I think it feels better than even last year, before going into last season, just because I think he's motivated to go out there and have an even better year than he had this last [one]."
Watch that answer below:
Although the Chiefs' recent Super Bowl loss was a factor, Kelce said previously that he decided to play another year in part because he still has "love for the game."
“I think I would have thought about it more if we would have won," Kelce told his brother on their podcast, New Heights. "I feel like I owe the guys that I come into the building with a whole lot more effort and focus. I just don’t know what it was during that game, man. I wasn’t at my best."
If the last five years are any indication, Kelce will very likely get the chance to try again. And it sounds like, as he mulls his retirement, he's thinking less about himself and more about what he gives to the squad. If we sense Kelce is satisfied in that respect by the end of next year, perhaps that will be a better indicator of what he might choose to do.
Until then, we get to watch some really good football.
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