Set to turn 35 in October, Travis Kelce’s playing career is a lot closer to the end than the beginning. But he’s not about to hang it up anytime soon.
“I can’t put a timeframe on it,” Kelce said Tuesday at Chiefs minicamp. “I love coming to work every single day. Obviously, I know there’s opportunities outside of football for me and I think you’ve got to keep it in perspective that I’m still a little kid when I come into this building.
“I have a love to do this right here, and in the middle of the heat in June, I love coming to work every single day and doing this. I’m going to do it until the wheels falls off and hopefully that doesn’t happen anytime soon.”
Kelce is still playing at an elite level. In the regular season he had 93 catches for 984 yards despite missing two games when he was injured for the season opener against the Lions and held out in the regular-season finale against the Chargers.
Having the Chargers game off, Kelce seemed to find another gear in the playoffs. In four postseason games enroute to the Super Bowl title, Kelce had 32 catches for 355 yards and three touchdowns. And despite his age, Kelce is not planning on reducing his workload this season.
“Wear and tear me, baby,” Kelce said. “I’m ready for it. Put the load on me. I love being accountable to the people in this building and Chiefs Kingdom. And I love the aspect of everybody counting on me to make that play for the team and just do the right things out there on the field.”
Kelce, who has become one of the more popular players in the NFL, has had opportunities in the entertainment world recently, and he plans to pursue those further once his playing career is over. But for now, he’s happy to be home on the football field and in Kansas City.
“Kansas City has been home for me the past 11 years and I’m reminded of that every single time I come back into the city,” Kelce said. “I do take the offseason to get away and recharge, but at the same time I’m a football player. I love football. I love playing in the NFL and this will always be my main focus.
“But outside of that, football ends for everybody. So it’s kind of dipping your toes in the water and see what you like in different areas and different career fields. I think the offseason is the best chance you can get to try and explore that and set yourself up for after football.”
