Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce could be on his way to post-football life. The 35-year-old looked like he might have been saying goodbye to quarterback Patrick Mahomes after losing Super Bowl LIX 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles.
And earlier in the week, Kelce sounded as close to retirement as he has ever sounded when he discussed the possibility of hanging up his cleats with his older brother Jason on their 'New Heights' podcast.
"I’m kicking every can I can down the road ... [I don't want to make] any crazy decisions," Kelce said. "I think I’m going to take some time to figure it out ... I think I could play, it’s just whether or not I’m as motivated or it’s the best decision for me as a man, as a human, as a person, to take on all that responsibility."
Travis Kelce's teammate wants him to run it back one more time with the Kansas City Chiefs
On Thursday, one of Kelce's teammates told Fox Sports he wants the 10-time Pro Bowler to return to Kansas City for one last run at glory.
"This would be my message to Trav: 'Big dawg, like, we, the whole organization, can't go out like that," Chiefs defensive end Charles Ominihu said on The Facility (h/t NFL.com's Eric Edholm).
"He's a Hall of Famer from the moment he says, 'I'm done,' right?" he continued. "But I think Trav has a lot left, I think Trav is an extreme competitor, I think he's somebody that loves the game. I think in the storied career that he's had, going out like that, in my opinion, wouldn't be something that he would do."
Well, despite what Ominihu might think, Kelce's own words and feelings on the situation seem to say otherwise. In previous years, he's been quick to dismiss any retirement rumors but now it appears he's seriously contemplating it, calling the process of an NFL season "grueling."
Either way, Kansas City wants him to make up his mind by March 14. That's the day before his $11.5 million roster bonus is set to kick in and the team surely wants to avoid that expense if Kelce's going to end his playing days.
"I believe that he'll be back," Omenihu said. "I believe he'll give it one more go."
Time will tell but the clock is, indeed, ticking on Kelce's decision. Fans and pundits alike will be watching closely for what could be the end of an era in Kansas City and potentially the NFL.