Travis Kelce may already be easing into retirement – and it’s all thanks to his superstar girlfriend, Taylor Swift.
Although the Kansas City Chiefs tight end insists he’s not yet ready to hang up his cleats, it’s fair to say that Kelce has been enjoying the taste of what life post-NFL could be like.
In recent weeks, the three-time Super Bowl winner has been taking some well-deserved offseason rest alongside Swift, who is reportedly having a ‘gap year’ after her blockbuster 21-month Eras Tour.
The couple, both aged 35, are said to have recently taken a ‘romantic’ international vacation, and have been spotted looking cozy on a few intimate date nights upon their return the US.
And, while he and his Chiefs teammates are still set to begin their quest for Super Bowl vengeance in the fall – after last month’s crushing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles – Kelce’s downtime adventures are standing him in good stead for when he does finally decide to bring the curtain down on his decorated career.
‘With all this free time with Taylor and all this travel they are doing together, it is getting Travis to learn what retirement will be like,’ a source close to Kelce tells the Daily Mail. ‘He is loving this time with Taylor, and he is very happy it is all going well because this is what he will be dealing with after his playing days are over.’
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s intimate offseason is reportedly preparing him for retirement
The Kansas City Chiefs star has decided that he isn’t ready to hang his cleats up yet
In addition to the dates and vacations with Swift – and in a bid to unwind from the usual rigors of a hectic NFL schedule – Kelce has been hitting the fairway at Pinehurst, the North Carolina golf course where last year’s US Open was held, and where he regularly tees it up for a round with close pal and teammate Patrick Mahomes.
All of which sounds like a welcome reprieve after that humiliating defeat to the Eagles in New Orleans last month. But will it tempt him into retirement?
Those who know him say that crushing 40-22 loss is not how he plans to bow out – and that he still has one more season in him.
‘Travis is going to go all in on this [next] season, as he expects it to be his last,’ our insider said. ‘He wants to retire as a Chief… and his contract is up after this year. [So] his current idea is to hang it up after this season.’
But could there be another, more heartwarming reason behind the bid for a final season?
‘It has in no way been constant conversation, maybe brought up once or twice, but as Travis was contemplating retirement this year, a thought that passed his mind was what if he were to retire after next season, he would then be eligible for the NFL [Pro Football] Hall of Fame in 2031 [since you have to have been retired at least five years],’ the insider said. ‘Flip the 31 around, and that is 13 – Taylor’s favorite number. Such a random thought did pass his mind.’
Swift’s birthday is December 13 and she has referenced the number in multiple songs throughout her career. Her personal management company is even called ’13 Management’.
Kelce recently made a cheeky gesture while golfing at Pinehurst in North Carolina
The tight end is set to play in the American Century Championship again in July
‘One thing Travis has learned being in a relationship with Taylor is that her life is heavily dependent on a schedule,’ the insider added.
‘Whether it is for tours or putting out music, there are certain dates and times that she has to be free. She’ll always be free for whenever the Grammy’s take place, for instance.
‘So that scheduling and that detail that Travis now deals with – on top of his own schedule, whether for his podcast or acting – means that timings and dates play a very important part in both their lives, to the point where the 2031 date has now taken on some significance.’
But for the next few months at least, Kelce’s schedule is clear.
He, along with the Chiefs other veterans will report for preseason training camp in July, before kickstarting a new NFL season in September for perhaps the final time.
