Travis Kelce Shuts Down Retirement Talk: Eyes Records, Off-Field Success

How long Travis Kelce will continue to play in the NFL is once again in the spotlight as the Chiefs prepare to face the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.

Kelce, 35, is already the highest-earning tight end in league history, having made $93.94 million (all figures via Spotrac), but he’s still trailing Pro Football Hall of Famer and fellow former Chiefs star Tony Gonzalez in all three major statistical receiving categories.

At the Super Bowl Opening Night event on Monday, Kelce, whose stardom has risen astronomically since his relationship with Taylor Swift began in 2023, was asked what he thought he would be doing in three years. “I don’t know, hopefully still playing football,” he said. “I love doing this. I love coming into work every day, and I feel like I still got a lot of good football left in me. We’ll see what happens.”

Kelce will cross the $100 million career earnings mark should he play next season, with a $17.25 million salary coming his way. While he was the highest-paid tight end in the NFL this season, Kelce also cashed in off the field. 

Travis and his brother, Jason Kelce, sold their podcast, New Heights, to the Amazon-owned Wondery in a deal reported to be worth $100 million over three years. Kelce is also the host of Amazon’s game show Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?

“I know I’ve been setting myself up for other opportunities in my life,” Kelce said Monday. “That’s always been the goal, knowing that football only lasts for so long. You’ve got to find a way to get into another career, another profession. I’ve been doing that in my offseasons. But for the most part, I plan on being a Kansas City Chief and playing football.”

If chasing down on-field records is a goal for Kelce, Gonzalez leads his younger counterpart in receptions (1,325 to 1,004), yards (15,127 to 12,151), and touchdowns (111 to 77). Former Cowboys tight end Jason Witten also has more receptions (1,228) and yards (13,046) than Kelce.