Jason Kelce Offers Travis Some Retirement Advice Amid Rumors
"You've got to step away from the game."
Travis Kelce may be shifting his focus to being a full-time husband once he marries Taylor Swift. After his NFL team, the Kansas City Chiefs, failed to make the playoffs for the first time in a decade, rumors have begun swirling that Kelce is likely seriously considering retiring from the sport. And his older brother Jason is adding some fuel to that gossip.
Retirement chatter reached a peak after the Chiefs lost against the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 14, knocking them out of Super Bowl contention for the first time since 2014. The lackluster season may encourage Kelce — who’s previously admitted he constantly thinks about retirement — to step away from the NFL. The 36-year-old is slightly older than the average retirement age, which falls in the late 20s. Plus, he’s witnessed his brother Jason’s fulfilling new life after he retired from the NFL in 2024.
While Jason didn’t reveal Travis’ decision, he admitted he’s “curious” about what his little brother is thinking right now, and encouraged Travis to mull things over once the season ends. "In my opinion, to nail that decision, you've got to step away from the game for a little bit," Jason said during a Dec. 15 appearance on ESPN's Monday Night Football.
The Chiefs have a few games left in the regular season, and then they’ll have a lot of downtime as they aren’t eligible to compete for the Super Bowl. Jason wants his brother to cherish these final games as if they were his last ever.
"Play these last three games, enjoy them with your teammates, enjoy that with your coaches," Jason said. "The team's going to be different whether you come back or not next year. So, enjoy these last three games and then let it sink in. It'll come to you with time."
He added that once Travis gets time away from the stadium to think things over, he will realize the right course for himself. "There's so many emotions with this game right after a season, especially with the way this one's been," Jason said. "It's been so up and down … They've been close and right now, it's too fresh. You got to step away from it, you got to think about it. Then, it'll come to you."
