Jason and Travis Kelce.Photo:Gabriella Ricciardi/MLB Photos via Getty
Gabriella Ricciardi/MLB Photos via Getty
AsTravis Kelce’s deadline to decide if he wants to retire looms, his brotherJason Kelcethinks he’s already made up his mind.
“I think Travis, I think he probably, in his heart, already knows what he wants to do,” the Eagles alum, 37, said while speaking withNBA on TNTcohosts Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson of the Kansas City Chief tight end’s pending decision. The clip was a preview of an upcoming episode from the hosts' podcast,The Steam Room, dropping Feb. 21. “That’s the reality of it.”
Travis' contract with the Chiefs runs through the 2025 season and includes an $11.5 million roster bonus that is due to him on March 15 if he stays with the team, the outlet reported. The NFL’s free agency period begins March 10.
Chiefs quarterbackPatrick Mahomes, 29,was askedduring a post-Super Bowl press conference if he has spoken to Travis, 35, about whether he will retire from football or return to play another season in the NFL.
Travis Kelce.Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty
Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty
Speaking to reporters after the loss, Mahomes said he’s going to “let Travis make that decision on his own” after he deserves some well-deserved rest following a long season.
“He’s given so much to this team and to the NFL,” the quarterback added of Travis. “And he’s been such a joy, not only for me to work with, but for people to watch.”
Travis previously opened up about whether or not he’ll return to the NFL next season on the latest episode ofNew Heights,the podcast he host alongside Jason, which dropped on Feb. 12 — just three days after the team’s devastating loss.
“I know everybody wants to knowwhether or not I’m playing next year, and right now, I’m just kicking everything down the road. I’m not making any crazy decisions,” he said.
Travis also noted that the “biggest thing” for him and his teammates right now is “being there” for each other and “understanding.”
“I’m gonna take some time to figure it out. And, I think I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back, it’s a wholehearted decision. I’m not half-assing it, and I’m fully here for them,” he said.
OnThe Steam Roomon Friday, Jason confirmed that his brother helped advise him before he decided to retire from the Eagles last year. He’s confident they’ll do the same as Travis makes his decision.
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“I’m sure we will talk about it. We’ve already talked about it a little bit, and I’m sure he’s going to go through a process of figuring that out,” Jason told Barkley and Johnson. “We’re very similar people, but we also have different ways of thinking about things. And sometimes I can way over analyze situations, and my brother has this way of being like, ‘Hey man, you want to play or you don’t want to play.’ ”
Jason continued, “He’ll say something like that where it’s just like, don’t worry about all of these minor things. And nine times out of ten, he’s right about all of it.”
source: people.com