Travis Kelce has a decision to make.
One that his brother, Jason, and plenty before him had to make the hard way. While the 35-year-old Kelce has a long, lengthy media career between network television and Hollywood awaiting, it remains to be seen whether he wants to continue his playing career, especially after what transpired in New Orleans.
Kansas City Chiefs superfan Nick Wright predicted that Kelce would retire after Super Bowl LIX. But the First Things First host confidently made that prediction, believing Kansas City would become the first franchise in NFL history to three-peat.
Perhaps Kelce’s trajectory looks slightly different following a 40-22 drubbing at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles.
And if that trajectory sees him running it back, Kelce has to be comfortable with coming to reality — a reality that Ryan Clark acknowledged on NFL Live Monday.
.@RealrClark25 believes Travis Kelce’s future depends on whether he’s comfortable being a “diminished player” at this stage of his career ✍️ pic.twitter.com/meYQXPWmvT
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 10, 2025
“Isn’t Trav sort of in the same place [as] our colleague and friend, his brother, Jason Kelce, was in last year?” asked Clark. “Still feeling like you can still do it and you still have it, but you know you don’t have it like you used to. And it’s gonna be based on whether or not Travis Kelce understands he’s a diminished player and is comfortable with that.
“When you’re at the highest of highs, when you’re the best pass-catching tight end in the history of the National Football League, it’s hard to go into a game last night, have two drops, not have any impactful catches or impact on the game. Can Travis Kelce go forward in 2025 and be that person? Especially when so many lucrative opportunities await him in his second career.”
According to Clark, Kelce will have to sit down, take some time, and admit to himself what type of player he wants to be — and what sort of life he wants to live. It’s a delicate balance that Clark had to face himself at the end of his storied NFL career.
“He’s earned the right to take his time in doing so,” Clark admitted.
Kelce has earned that right — but time doesn’t wait forever.
The question isn’t just whether he can still play, but whether he’s willing to be something less than the force he once was. The NFL doesn’t let legends fade gracefully; it makes them choose between reinvention or retirement. And after a night like Sunday, that choice may come sooner than he ever expected.
