Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has revealed how they are trying to prolong Travis Kelce’s NFL career.
The 34-year-old tight end has recently hinted that he could look to retire from the NFL after a decade with the Chiefs.
Kelce, who has hit a new level of fame in recent months after he started dating Taylor Swift, has questioned his future after his battles against injuries.
Reid, who has also been with the Chiefs for ten years, revealed how the Chiefs are trying to assist Kelce in practice, during a press conference ahead of their clash with the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
As per the Chiefs Wire, he said: ‘I think he enjoys what he’s doing. I’m sure, though, the mileage on him. He’s got some aches and pains.
‘We tried to help him out with that, but he didn’t like coming out. And so we make them come out in practice and get them out of pull them out of plays, and he wants to be in on everything.
‘But the older he gets, he’s got to handle that part. You know, get mileage on you, time and place.’
Kelce is in his 11th season in the NFL, all of which spent at the Chiefs, winning the Super Bowl on two occasions.
On Monday, Kelce gave a revealing interview to the Wall Street Journal about life off the field – including his romance with Swift – and said that stepping away from football goes through his mind ‘more than anyone could ever imagine’ because of the impact of 10 surgeries on his body.
He doubled down on those retirement claims on the New Heights podcast with his brother Jason.
‘That’s the only thing I’ve never really been open about, the discomfort. The pain, Kelce said. ‘The lingering injuries – the 10 surgeries I’ve had that I still feel every single surgery to this day.’
Jason joked that it is usually him rather than Travis who hints at stepping back.
‘Listen, this is my game,’ Jason joked, having made similar comments earlier this season about his time with the Eagles. ‘Don’t steal my move. But you really haven’t talked about it before, this is the first time you’ve been vocal about some of the things that make it hard, playing into your mid-thirties.’
Travis responded: ‘Yeah, feeling it now more than ever. It is what it is.
‘The surgeries take a toll, man. They take a toll. I was unfortunate I got the knee surgery but fortunate I haven’t had any problems with that situation since then.’
Travis is 34 and his current contract with the Chiefs expires in 2024. Jason, meanwhile, is the older Kelce brother at 36 and signed a new one-year contract to stay in Philadelphia.
