Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones made a public plea for tight end Travis Kelce to continue his NFL career amid retirement speculation.
"He's got like four or five more years and what is he talking about, right?'' Jones told reporters via ESPN. "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.''
Jones' plea came days after Kelce said football remains his "focal point" amid several off-field ventures and isn't giving any thought to retirement entering his 12th NFL season.
“I really can’t put a timeframe on it,” Kelce told reporters during a press conference that was streamed live on the Chiefs' YouTube account on Tuesday (June 11). “I love coming to work every single day. Obviously, I know there’s opportunities outside of football for me. I think you’ve gotta keep in perspective that I’m a little kid when I come in this building. . . . I’m gonna do it until the wheels fall off. Hopefully, that doesn’t happen anytime soon. I can definitely understand that it’s toward the end of the road than the beginning of it. I just gotta make sure I’m set up for after football as well.”
Kelce, 34, one of the NFL's all-time greatest tight ends, recently landed his first major acting role in writer and director Ryan Murphy's upcoming FX series Grotesquerie and was previously announced as the host of the upcoming Prime Video gameshow, 'Are You Smarter than a Celebrity?,' this offseason. The three-time Super Bowl champion has emerged as arguably the biggest star in the league over the past year, having hosted Saturday Night Live in March 2023 and been featured in numerous commercials throughout the football season prior to his heavily publicized relationship with pop superstar Taylor Swift.
Kelce and the Chiefs reached a deal on a extension in April that will pay him an average annual salary of $17.125 million during the next two seasons, making him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL. Kansas City is four months removed from winning its second consecutive Super Bowl and third in the past five years.
Colin Cowherd Calls Luka 'Very Flawed', Compares Him to Carmelo Anthony
Dan Hurley Reveals What LeBron Texted Him During His Lakers Coaching Chase
Jason Whitlock Says ‘Bigoted, Angry Lesbians’ Are Sabotaging Caitlin Clark
Colin Cowherd Remembers and Tributes The Late Great Jerry West
Colin Cowherd: Reason for Aaron Rodgers Missing Jets Training Camp is Reportedly Revealed
Jason Whitlock: The Real Reason Caitlin Clark Was Barred From Olympic Team
Hall of Famer Jerry West, Inspiration For NBA Logo, Dies at 86
Jason Whitlock Rips 'Bigots' on Olympic Committee Who Snubbed Caitlin Clark
Colin Cowherd Rips the 'Hypocrisy' Behind Caitlin Clark's Olympic Team Snub
Colin Cowherd Calls Out Caitlin Clark's Critics After Her Olympic Team Snub