The fate of Travis Kelsey is still unclear.
The Kansas City Chiefs star remained modest about his position on his decision to retire on Wednesday’s “New Heights” podcast.
When the player told Jason Kelce that he was “officially unemployed” and that the show was his “only job,” his brother and co-host asked if that meant the tight end had officially “announced that[he]is no longer playing.”
Travis, 36, cryptically replied, “This is the only thing that’s hiring me right now.”
He went on to reflect on his team’s “tough season,” saying, “My No. 15 (quarterback Patrick Mahomes) went down, so (the season) ended even worse.”
“A lot of our starters finished the season strong. … It’s a tough road to end a season, especially given the amount of success and the standards we set for ourselves and our team.”
“You quickly look back and learn from it and try to understand what went wrong and how you could have been better in a particular situation,” Travis continued. “It’s just the best feeling. … It’s an embarrassing feeling, but you keep it going.”
As for his offseason plans, the “Catching Kelce” alum says he plans to “be around friends and family” instead of “thinking about how to win playoff games.”
He will “put his feet up,” be “a human being” and “figure out what’s next in terms of (his) future in football.”
The three-time Super Bowl champion said, “I’ve talked to a few people in the facility who have already had their exit press conferences. At least for now, they know where I stand. I still have a lot of love for the game. I don’t think I’m going to lose that.”
“It’s a tough thing to get through. If my body can recover and rest and feel confident enough to run another 18, 20, 21 weeks, I think I’ll do it in a heartbeat. I think right now I’m just trying to figure that out and see how my body feels when this fight is over and everything settles down.”
Travis admitted it was “a tough thing to get through,” but ultimately said, “If my body can recover and rest and have the confidence to go out and run again, I’d do it right away.”
He’s “just trying to find the answer and seeing how[my]body feels.”
The NFL star’s 13th season ended Sunday with the Chiefs’ loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
After the game, Travis told reporters he needed to “take some time” to decide on his future.
Page Six reported in March 2025 that Travis’ fiancee Taylor Swift influenced his decision to hang up his cleats after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in last year’s Super Bowl.
The 36-year-old singer said, “I wanted you to go out in good spirits.”
Although Swift was not present at Travis’ final game of the season, she cheered on her partner at the final Arrowhead Stadium home game of the year on Christmas Day.
The couple has been together since the summer of 2023.
Travis popped the question in August, and the couple plans to wed in Rhode Island in June.
