Chiefs star Travis Kelce advocates for a return to "old school" football as referee following NFL rule change
Travis Kelce has spent his entire career with the Kansas City Chiefs since being drafted in 2013 and is now entering his 12th season with the team. The tight end has been around long enough to compare the new and old rules of football.
In particular, the NFL has continually adjusted its contact rules to make player safety an absolute priority. Apparently, Kelce is not a fan of how physicality often results in referees throwing a flag on plays that would have been perfectly legal in previous eras of football.
He discussed his opinions with his brother, Jason Kelce, during an episode of their New Heights podcast. It came up concerning a hypothetical situation involving how Travis Kelce would call a game if he were ever an NFL referee. This is how the conversation went:
Travis: "Would I ever consider becoming a ref? Hell yes. You would put the league in my hands. I got us, boys. Roger would either fire me right away, or I would boost ratings."
Jason: "Why would he fire you?"
Travis: "Because I'm not throwing a f**king flag. Old school football baby, helmet to helmet contact, flag's in the pocket. Launching the quarterback, flag's in the pocket."
Jason: "I would love an official like that, but this will get you fired after one day."
Travis: "Bring back football." (TS - 1:16:46)
Kelce prefers "old school" NFL rules that allow for much more aggressive gameplay, and he also implied that many other players feel the same way.
Regardless, it's highly unlikely that the league will ever go back in that direction, as the new rules are in place to avoid injuries, especially the long-term complications of head injuries.
Travis Kelce's new contract extension with Chiefs shut down retirement rumors
Many rumors were circulating during the 2024 NFL offseason that the 34-year-old tight end may be considering retirement after winning three Super Bowl rings with the Kansas City Chiefs.
He also has a successful career off of the football field, including his extremely popular "New Heights" podcast. Further fueling the rumors was his brother, Jason Kelce, who announced his retirement, and many believed that Travis would join him.
That no longer appears to be the case after Travis Kelce agreed to a new contract extension with the Chiefs. His new deal keeps him under contract through the 2027 NFL season and makes him the NFL's highest-paid tight end at $17.125 million in AAV.