You hit the mid-30s as a pro football player and rumors about your retirement start circling. The funny thing is that you might not even know when that will happen. That’s what Chiefs’ 35-year-old TE Travis Kelce is going through. But with 12 years of experience in his bag, he finally reveals his future plans.

Sure, he did give insights into what he learned about retirement from the Patriots legend Julian Edelman earlier in September. But now, he’s laid it out more clearly. Speaking on extratv, Trav said, “I’m at a time in my life where I’m getting a lot of opportunities and when you win the Super Bowl, doors open for you. I think that I’ve enjoyed playing football my entire life.” 

He continued, “But you know when you get a chance to play for a championship year in and year out, it’s the best feeling in the world. So I’m a football player at first but everything that I do in the off-season, it is a fun yin to the yang.”

Kelce also dropped some wisdom about balance. “You gotta have the balance in life,” he added. And he’s right. Football doesn’t last forever, and Kelce knows it. “Football is gonna end for everybody playing so I just gotta make sure that I’m set up for what’s next,” he said, dabbling in different ventures off the field while still keeping his eyes on the prize this season.

Smart move, right? He’s setting himself up for life after football without letting the game slip through his fingers just yet. So, what’s next for Kelce? That’s an easy one. TV deals, business ventures, podcast episodes with his brother Jason, and maybe more surprise appearances at Taylor Swift’s concerts. Heck, she might even throw him into a music video.

Why not? Kelce’s got a lot lined up: a role in FX’s Grotesquerie, hosting Prime Video’s Are You Smarter than a Celebrity? and a part in Happy Gilmore 2. Plus, he’s co-hosting the New Heights podcast with his brother Jason, thanks to a $100 million Wondery deal.

One thing’s clear: Kelce’s got his head on straight and his future mapped out, especially after that chat with Julian Edelman.

Travis Kelce is having fun

Travis Kelce isn’t sweating his stat line like the rest of us are. After his first decent game of the season against the Chargers (week 4), where he snagged seven catches for 89 yards, Kelce made it clear on the New Heights podcast with his brother Jason: “The only number I care about is the one in the win column.” For Kelce, it’s all about team success, not padding the stats. Guess that’s the remedy for going strongly for 12 seasons!

Sure, he admitted his struggles were real. “Struggling in terms of stats,” he said but quickly followed it up with the only thing that mattered to him. “I was still playing winning football. That’s all that f—ing matters.” After a slow start to the season, Kelce has 24 receptions for 228 yards through five games. It’s not his flashiest stat sheet. But hey, when you’re chasing Super Bowls, sometimes the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

He’s fresh off his third Super Bowl ring, and he’s still out there playing like he’s got something to prove—not really prove. But he’s focused on completing that unprecedented 3-peat with the Chiefs. And he’s learned a lot about longevity too, especially from chatting with Julian Edelman. “When you can’t get out there and practice, that’s when you start questioning it,” Kelce recalled from Edelman. But for Kelce? He’s having too much fun to think about hanging it up just yet.

That fun extends beyond the field too. Kelce’s got TV gigs, a hit podcast, and business deals lined up, but nothing seems to distract him from keeping his head in the game. “I’m just having so much fun,” Kelce said. But we all know, that eventually, time catches up with even the greatest.

Julian Edelman’s reminder about the inevitable end is always there, but Kelce’s not entertaining that conversation just yet. For now, he’s still got touchdowns to catch, celebrations to dance through, and plenty of gas left in the tank.