Travis Kelce elaborates on ideal retirement plans post Jason Kelce's NFL exit
Travis Kelce saw his brother Jason Kelce retire from the NFL this year. While appearing on the New Heights podcast that the siblings host, Travis gave his thoughts on how he would like to bring down the curtain on his playing career. The Chiefs tight end said that he sees himself playing at a high level at the moment and defines it as adding value to the play and the team.
Travis Kelce said that catching a flat route and then adding 15 to 20 yards after the catch is what he lives for and if he cannot do that and make defenders miss, then he is going to start questioning his worth to the team. He said:
“I love playing at it at a level where I know I can have a bunch of success, I know I can go out there and catch a flat route and turn it into a 15-20-yard gain and make a few guys miss, the moment that I can’t do that, I think that’s when I’m going to be when I’m like, alright, what am I doing this for?"
Travis Kelce shares his competitive mentality on podcast with brother Jason Kelce
Even though nothing that Travis Kelce says should be a surprise to Jason Kelce, their podcast opens a window to how champion players like them think. As the Chiefs tight end said here, it is the moments that he lives for.
He likes making defenders miss and getting an unexpected first down. He highlighted that it not just any touchdown, but a score that he gets in the fourth quarter that excites him the most. And he added that the moment he cannot do that, he will plan his retirement, commenting:
"I get excitement out of catching a ball, splitting a bunch of defenders and getting a huge first down when nobody expected me to do it. Or I scored a huge touchdown in a playoff game in the fourth quarter when the team needed it the most.
"The moment that I can’t do that, and I’m playing it at an average or a less of a successful level than I am right now, I think that’s when I’m probably going to call it quits.”
Anybody who has watched Travis Kelce play, or even Jason Kelce for that matter, should not be surprised. And given how well the Chiefs star is playing these days, it looks like his retirement is not going to be anytime soon.