Travis Kelce retirement: Chiefs reportedly set deadline for star TE

The Kansas City Chiefs are giving their star player, Travis Kelce, about a month to decide if he will continue playing. The team reportedly wants an answer by March 14 or 15, as they plan for the next season.

Kelce, a key player for the Chiefs and a 10-time Pro Bowler, is feeling the effects of years on the field. Speaking on 96.5 The Fan, reporter Nate Taylor said the 34-year-old sounds "very tired" and may be thinking about retiring. Even though he played well in the playoffs, his body may not recover as easily as before.

"He sounds very exhausted. And so, the Chiefs are going to give him essentially a month," Taylor said. "You know, they would like to know sometime by March 14th or 15th—you know, that's kind of like the deadline. I don't know if he wants to go out particularly on that note, but I understand."

The Chiefs have tried to manage Kelce’s playing time to keep him at his best, but training and recovery can only do so much.

"When your body—you know, he's gotten to the point now in his career where you may do everything right training-wise, practice-wise, getting the right amount of treatment, mentally being clear—and if your body just doesn't respond, what are you supposed to do?" Taylor added.

If Travis Kelce retires, the Chiefs will lose one of quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ most important teammates.

Travis Kelce spoke about his possible retirement from the NFL

After 12 years of tough games and big wins, Travis Kelce has started to think about his future. On his "New Heights" podcast, Kelce shared that he needs time before he finally takes the call.

"I know everybody wants to know whether I'm playing next year and right now, I'm just kicking everything down the road. I'm kicking every can I can down the road," he said. "I'm not making any crazy decisions."

Even with this uncertainty, Kelce is thankful for his family's support.

“I have loved ones; I have the most amazing family in the world that supports me in everything I do," the tight end added. "Everyone was there to at least make it feel like it wasn’t the worst day of my life.”

His comments came after the Chiefs’ painful Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.