KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Saying, «I have no reason to stop playing football,» Travis Kelce indicated Thursday that he intends to play in 2024 for the Chiefs. «I love [playing with the Chiefs],» Kelce said. «We still have success, come in with the right mindset, and I just love the challenge that it gives me every single day to try and be at my best. »I have no desire to stop anytime soon." Kelce, who turned 34 in October, said that he has given retirement some thought but that he was never serious enough about it to contemplate what he might do if he weren't playing for the Chiefs. «I've been fortunate to do a few things outside of the sports world that I've been enjoying doing, like getting on camera,» Kelce said. «The ['Saturday Night Live'] stuff kind of opened up a new happiness and maybe a new career path for me. »But it's funny for me to even say that at this point in my career.
I think it's so much further down the road than it is right now." Kelce had his streak of seven straight 1,000-yard seasons, a record for a tight end, snapped this season when he finished 16 yards short.
He could have played in last weekend's final regular-season game against the Chargers, but opted instead to join Patrick Mahomes, Isiah Pacheco and others in taking the week off.
The Chiefs had clinched the AFC West championship and the conference's third playoff seed the previous week. «I just didn't care enough about [1,000 yards],» Kelce said. «I felt like I could get some rest and let the guys go out there and just play the game instead of worrying about getting this old guy 16 yards.