Getty Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and tight end Travis Kelce.
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid heard about tight end Travis Kelce’s request for a large workload this upcoming season and is in full support of what the 34-year-old future Hall of Famer wants.
“I don’t know if we’re going to back off on his time. If he wants to be worn out, we can help him with that,” Reid said during his press conference on June 13.
Kelce, who will turn 35 in October, let it be known during his media availability on June 11 that he wants the same workload he’s been receiving in recent years despite now entering his mid-30s.
“Wear and tear me, baby. I’m ready for it, man. Put the load on me,” Kelce said. “I love being accountable for these — the men and women in this building, Chiefs Kingdom. I love the aspect of ‘everybody count on me to try to make a play for the team.’ Just doing the right things out on the field and better judgment for the team. I don’t think anything from last year put more miles on me, made me less of a player, I think it was all-in-all just focus, being my own worst critic, [and] capitalizing on situations that I should have.”
Travis Kelce Will Play Until the ‘Wheels Fall Off’
During his June 11 media availability, Kelce was once again asked about retirement and made it clear — as he has in the past — that it isn’t on his radar yet.
“I love coming to work every single day and doing this, so I am going to do it until the wheels fall off and hopefully that doesn’t happen anytime soon,” Kelce said. “I can’t put a time frame on it, man … Obviously I know that there’s opportunities outside of football for me and I think you’ve got to keep in perspective that I’m still a little kid when I come into this building. I know I’m 34 years old, about to be 35, but I have a love to do this right here in the middle of the heat in June.”
With some better talent around him on offense and a three-peat being the mission for the Chiefs this upcoming season, it comes as no surprise that Kelce is motivated to continue playing.
Chris Jones Not Letting Travis Kelce Retire Soon
Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, 29, was also asked about retirement and let it be known that it hasn’t even crossed his mind.
“Once you begin to think about things like that, you’re getting to feed the mind those types of thoughts,” Jones said during his press conference on June 12. “I don’t even want my mind to even go that far to the R word.”
Despite being several years younger than Kelce, Jones wants to finish his career alongside the veteran tight end.
“He’s got like four or five more years and what is he talking about, right?” Jones said of Kelce talking about retirement. “We can’t let TK go. It’s like we retire, we’ve got to retire together. Give me at least six, four years, then we’ll talk about it.”