A lot can happen in three years in the NFL. The average career length of a player in the league is just over three years, according to Statista. The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII and now, three years later, the two teams will square off again in Super Bowl LIX with the Chiefs trying to pull off a three-peat.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who is 35 years old and only under contract through the 2025 season, said Monday at Super Bowl Opening Night that feels like he’ll still be playing for Kansas City three years from now.
“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 the offseasons, but for the most, I plan on being a Kansas City Chief and playing football.”
That’s somewhat surprising considering he was near tears and acting like he signed his final Chiefs contract when he re-upped with Kansas City on a redone deal this past offseason. But who can blame Kelce for wanting to continue playing ball with Patrick Mahomes and further entrench his legacy as an all-time great?
Kelce is a four-time first-team All-Pro and 10-time Pro Bowler who has a chance to become a four-time Super Bowl champion on Sunday. Kelce is already the league’s all-time playoff leader in catches (174), but he can continue to close the gap between himself and Jerry Rice, the NFL postseason’s all-time leader in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, should Kelce continue playing for three more years.
He only needs three more catches to break the record for the most career catches in the Super Bowl, which is held by Rice (33 catches). With just one more touchdown, Kelce will have a score in 16 career playoff games, which would break a tie with Bills Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas for the most in NFL history. He can also become the first player to lead a Super Bowl champion in receiving yards four times if the Chiefs prevail on Sunday.
The record for the most seasons played by a tight end in NFL history belongs to Marcedes Lewis, who has played 19 years from 2006-2024. Perhaps that’s another milestone that drives Kelce, a 12-year veteran, to keep grinding to stay in the NFL just a little bit longer.
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Author: Garrett Podell
February 4, 2025 | 10:46 am
