At 35 years old, three-time NFL champion Travis Kelce has admitted he needs time to decide whether he'll return for the 2025 season or consider retirement.

"I know everyone wants to know if I’m playing next year, but I need time to think about my future. I don’t want to make any rushed decisions. Right now, the most important thing is being there for my teammates and coaches, who I love. I just hate how the season ended," said a visibly emotional Kelce.

A Legendary Career Taking Its Toll

The Chiefs tight end—widely regarded as one of the best in NFL history—shared his thoughts on his New Heights podcast, which he co-hosts with his brother Jason Kelce, a Philadelphia Eagles legend.

In his first public appearance since Super Bowl LIX, Kelce admitted that while he still feels physically capable of competing, the toll of playing over a decade at the highest level is starting to weigh on him.

"I’ve been lucky these past five or six years; I’ve played more football than anyone. That’s a lot of wear and tear on the body. You always have to be switched on. It’s exhausting—it can either make you stronger or drive you crazy, and this past year, it was driving me crazy," he admitted.

A Reality Check for the Chiefs

The Westlake, Ohio native acknowledged that losing Super Bowl LIX, which could have secured a historic three-peat for the Chiefs, was a humbling experience for the franchise.

"Reality hits hard. This sport can humble you real quick. One day, you're on top of the world; the next, it drags you down completely. Not everything goes as planned. In the past, we always found a way to win—that’s what we were known for. This year, we just couldn’t do it," Kelce reflected.

A third-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, Kelce has played in five Super Bowls with the Chiefs, winning LIV, LVII, and LVIII, but falling short in LV (against Tom Brady’s Buccaneers) and LIX (against the Philadelphia Eagles).