Travis Kelce could announce his retirement sooner than expected. After the debacle of Super Bowl LIX, the next big topic for the Kansas City Chiefs is the retirement of their star tight end. Kelce has not given an exact date to announce his decision, but one of those pesky bureaucratic requirements has put a deadline on him.
Kelce has been a key piece of the Chiefs since his arrival in the NFL in the third round of the 2013 Draft. Together with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Kelce has led Kansas City to five Super Bowls, of which he has won three.
However, time is not passing in vain and the crushing 40-22 defeat they suffered at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles in the last Super Bowl hit Kelce hard. With nothing else to prove, the tight end has hinted that this could be his last year, but he has not made an official announcement… yet.
The deadline for Kelce’s announcement
A recent report from The Athletic revealed that the countdown has already begun for Kelce to decide his future. Sources from the prestigious sports newspaper explained that the tight end must communicate his decision to the team no later than March 14.
In 2024, Kelce signed a contract extension with the Chiefs for two years and $34.3 million. The agreement includes an $11.5 million bonus for making the roster, and the deadline to receive that bonus in 2025 is March 14.
There’s no doubt that Kelce and the Chiefs love each other, but business is business. The front office needs to do the math ahead of offseason negotiations with the rest of the team, and the coaching staff needs to know if they’ll need to go to the market to find a replacement for their star.
The Super Bowl changed the outlook for Kelce
Prior to Super Bowl LIX, the scales were tipped that Kelce would retire at the peak of his career; however, the loss has led some media and analysts to speculate about a possible return to avenge the affront.
However, at 35 years old and 13 years into his career, Kelce has already said that the most important thing for him is whether he will have the motivation necessary to undergo the grueling process of being in top form to face the 20-21 games needed to win a Super Bowl.
If he doesn’t find that motivation, it’s very likely that at the beginning of March we’ll be saying goodbye to one of the best players of the last decade.
Read the full article here
