Travis Kelce isn’t ready to hang up his cleats just yet—and he says Taylor Swift played a role in that decision.
The Kansas City Chiefs star tight end recently revealed that watching his fiancée’s passion and creativity helped inspire him to return for a 14th season in the NFL. After briefly considering retirement following a tough season for Kansas City, Kelce said Swift’s work ethic reminded him why he still loves the game.
During an appearance on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show, Kelce explained that both he and Swift have spent their lives pursuing what they love.
“We share the same love for what we do, and fortunately, we’ve had this desire since we were kids in our selective professions,” Kelce said. “It’s amazing to see her keep going to the table, keep finding new things to write about, keep finding new melodies and, on top of that, still seeing her have that love and joy in what she does.”
For Kelce, seeing that passion up close had an impact.
“Of course that’s motivating,” he continued. “That’s motivating for anybody to see, let alone my fiancée, knowing that I’m going through something where I’m trying to figure out exactly what the future holds for me. Something like that definitely motivates me to say, ‘You know what, I’m not done, either.’ I’ve still got some ideas in the back of my mind and still got some juice left to play this game.”
Kelce ultimately signed a one-year deal to return to the Chiefs for his 14th NFL season, giving Kansas City fans another year to watch one of the greatest tight ends in league history.
Despite the Chiefs missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade after a disappointing season, Kelce remained one of the team’s most productive players. The 11-time Pro Bowler led the team with 76 receptions, 851 receiving yards, and five touchdowns. His performance earned him another Pro Bowl selection and added to an already legendary résumé that includes three Super Bowl championships and seven All-Pro selections.
Kelce admitted that his decision about retirement didn’t take long, but he still needed time to process the season and check in with himself physically and mentally.
“It was pretty short and brief and the Chiefs knew where I was the entire time on it,” Kelce said. “You always need to take a step back, breathe and let the emotions of the season settle down and see where the body is.”
After taking that moment to reflect, the answer became clear.
“Man, I’m still in love with this game,” he said. “I still love going to work, putting on the pads, grinding it out and just playing the game.”
Kelce also pointed to the relationships he has built in Kansas City as another major reason for returning.
“My best opportunity was playing for the Chiefs yet again and running this thing back with Pat Mahomes and Coach Reid and got my guy Eric Bieniemy back,” he said. “There’s a lot of pieces in Kansas City that I just absolutely love and I can’t wait to get back in the building with them.”
Now, with renewed motivation and another season ahead, Kelce is ready to prove he still has plenty left in the tank—and Swift’s example of relentless creativity may have helped make that decision just a little easier.