Can you imagine a world where Travis Kelce is no longer The Guy On The Chiefs? Literally, how is Taylor Swift supposed to sing “Karma” live when that happens?? I hate to say it, but I fear Travis’ retirement is coming sooner rather than later. After all, Taylor’s BF is fully in his mid-thirties now, and he’s already been the Kansas City Chiefs tight end for 12 seasons. Taylor once called herself a “geriatric pop star” (that was three years ago, lol), and Travis is low-key becoming a geriatric football player — I mean that in the nicest way possible. Although he hasn’t made a formal announcement about retiring yet, he recently made some comments strongly hinting at it. So, is Travis Kelce really retiring soon? Let’s break down what he said.

Is Travis Kelce Retiring? Here’s What He Said

Travis Kelce’s Quotes About Retiring

Naturally, the subtle update came from an episode of his and Jason Kelce’s podcast, New Heights. During the December 18 episode, Travis reflected on getting to play in his hometown, Cleveland, Ohio, over the weekend. He gushed about the city but pointed out it might be his “last” time playing there.

“I just love that city, man,” he said to Jason. “It was so fun.” The tight end joked that he felt like a “tour guide,” telling everybody about all the sights to see. He called the experience “surreal.”

Travis added, “I don’t know if it’s the last time I’ll ever play in Cleveland, but it kinda felt like I was just giving it one last hurrah before I’m done because I’ve only played there twice in 12 years.” The football star noted that if his team doesn’t “get thrown down there” in the next couple of years, he won’t get the chance to play in Cleveland again.

Listen, the man’s 35 years old, and he said the next couple of years, so I think this is just him being a realist. The dude’s not gonna be tight end-ing when he’s 50 (unless Taylor funds a truly insane medical breakthrough with her billions). Jason, who’s 37, emotionally announced his own retirement back in March.

In September, Travis made a vague comment about his future retirement. “I just love football and how it takes me away from life and it gives me something I can feel genuinely happy about,” he said at the time. He explained that the sport gives him a “purpose” and admitted: “It’s going to be hard trying to figure out when to call it quits or not.”

Welp, he’ll always have the Chief Swiftie gig to keep him busy after football.