Chiefs' Travis Kelce practicing as if retirement isn't on his mind

Even before Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce mentioned "the 10 surgeries" he's had during his career this past fall, some within the NFL community wondered if he was thinking about life after football.

Kelce seemingly never came close to retiring after he became a three-time Super Bowl champion in February, and NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated suggested on Wednesday there's no sign during training camp that the veteran player has fallen out of love with featuring for the Chiefs.

"He’s been beat up," Breer wrote about Kelce. "He’s accomplished everything a guy at his position can. And yet, at 34 years old, he hasn’t missed a single day of practice in St. Joe when he could easily go to [head coach Andy Reid] and the coaches and ask for veteran days here and there to recharge. That, in turn, sets a tone for everyone else in camp on the importance of being on the field each day as the season nears."

While Kelce said this spring he'd like to win a "couple more Super Bowls" before he rides off into the sunset of retirement, he later admitted he wants to "go out on [his] terms" before his body betrays him. He also has accepted acting and game-show-host roles amid his much-publicized relationship with entertainment superstar Taylor Swift.

In late July, The Wall Street Journal's Anne Steele revealed that Kelce and brother Jason Kelce were "seeking a deal in the $100M range" for their "New Heights" podcast.

Travis Kelce is already a future first-ballot Hall of Famer who has earned more than enough money from NFL contracts alone to last him the rest of his life. Few would blame him if he decided he's had enough of taking punishing hits across fall weekends, but he isn't done chasing history yet.

"Given that the Chiefs run one of the NFL’s most demanding camps, and Reid believes deeply in callousing his team, Kelce setting that tone is invaluable to having everyone locked in as the team prepares for a run at becoming the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls," Breer continued.

As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Chiefs as the overall betting favorites at +500 odds to win Super Bowl LIX. It remains to be seen if hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy in February 2025 could serve as the walkoff action of Kelce's generational career.