On Tuesday, Kansas City Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce spoke to reporters. As has been the case, all offseason, countless local media members kept asking the future Hall of Famer how long he intends to keep playing football. Why is that?
The cynic in me wonders why the narrative surrounding All-Pro Tight End Travis Kelce is how the local media is ready to put him out to pasture. Yes, this is his 12th season in the NFL. Yes, he’s dating Taylor Swift. Yes, someday, he’ll hang up his cleats.
However, that time is NOT NOW!
For nearly seven minutes on Tuesday, the seasoned pro answered questions ranging from when he would hang up his cleats to how he feels now compared to when he was a rookie. Still, despite stating clearly that he’s having fun playing football and that he can still do things to help his team win, that’s his only focus.
Yet, the END question kept coming up, and although Kelce made it clear in training camp that he intends to play until the wheels fall off, the local media can’t stop asking the question.
Yes, I’m not immune to speculating when we will not see Kelce in a Chiefs uniform. Still, why would anyone want to push him off the field? Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, and Andy Reid are the best combo of NFL Tight End/Pass Catcher, Quarterback, and Head Coach.
I get the narrative, and each reporter has an agenda. You can ask Kelce questions about the sport he loves, his teammates, and his relationship with Mahomes away from the game so many times. To his credit, Kelce answers the repetitive questions with a style and flair that makes him so beloved.
Still, at some point, can’t we enjoy the now and embrace that he’s playing significant minutes for the Chiefs? Further, can we just marvel at the now and stop worrying about the future? I mean, Kelce is the greatest Tight End to play the position in the NFL.
He’s a winner at every level and one of the nicest, most giving, and most charitable people who’ve ever played a sport in Kansas City. He’s a family man with a good heart, and he handles his success with a boyish charm that makes him the light of every conversation he has, in public and private. Yes, he’s dating Taylor Swift and handles that with the same class as a proud, supportive boyfriend.
So again, why not celebrate every minute he’s in a Chiefs uniform?
Kelce continues to defy his age and plays the game for the right reasons. He loves all aspects of football, even the dog days of training camp. He embraces all the positives and discards the negatives of the sport that made him a well-paid athlete (on and off the field) because he loves to play football with his Chiefs family.
Reporters have a job to do, and in some cases, they are told to ask repetitive questions, but hasn’t Kelce earned the right to play out his career in his timeline? Trust me, everyone will know when he retires.
So, regardless of whether it’s after this season, next year, or further down the road, let’s appreciate that Travis Kelce is a Three-Time Super Bowl Champion, a First-Ballot Hall of Famer, and a Kansas City Chief for life!
