Will Travis Kelce retire after Super Bowl 2025? Chiefs star's decision could hinge on game result, per report

Super Bowl LIX could be the last time we see Travis Kelce the football player. The 35-year-old Kansas City Chiefs tight end has not made up his mind whether he will play in 2025, according to NFL Media. In fact, Kelce's decision could hinge on the final result of Sunday night's matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Kelce, who is in the conversation for greatest tight end to ever play in the NFL, is expected to take time after the Super Bowl, consider his future and make a decision before free agency, which officially begins March 12.

This is a particularly interesting development given Kelce told reporters during Super Bowl Opening Night that he hoped to be playing football for years to come. 

"Where will I be in three years? Aw, man, I don't know; hopefully still playing football," Kelce said via Fox Sports. "I love doing this. I love coming into work every day. I feel like I still got a lot of good football left in me. We'll see what happens.

"I know I've been setting myself up for other opportunities in my life, and that's always been the goal knowing that football only lasts for so long. You have to find a way to get into another career, into another profession. I've been doing that in my offseasons, but for the most part, I plan on being a Kansas City Chief and playing football."

Kelce will reportedly take time to think about his future after the big game, and plenty of opportunities are likely awaiting him should he decide to hang up the cleats for good. He already co-hosts a popular podcast, "New Heights," with brother Jason Kelce, and he even scored an acting role in the FX horror series, "Grotesquerie." Surely further TV opportunities will be presented as well.

Should Travis Kelce retire this offseason, he would close the book on an all-time career from a tight end. Kelce already has the most receptions in NFL postseason history (174), and he needs just three catches on Sunday to pass San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice (33) for the most career receptions in Super Bowl history. (Kelce presently has 31.) Kelce's 12,151 career yards receiving rank third all-time among tight ends behind Jason Witten (13,046 yards) and Tony Gonzalez (15,127 yards).

Whether Sunday's outcome plays into how Kelce approaches the future remains to be seen. A loss to the Eagles could motivate him to return for a 13th season, while the first three-peat of the Super Bowl era could lead Kelce to retire atop the sports world.