What’s next for Travis Kelce in 2024? From retirement claims to planning his future with Taylor Swift

There aren’t many athletes who can claim that they had a better year than Travis Kelce, both in their sport and personally speaking, as they reflect on 2023.

Looking back at what has been, without a shadow of a doubt, at the most intense 12 months of the 34-year-old Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s career, Travis first came to attention when he and his older brother, Jason, a center for the Philadelphia Eagles, became the first pair of siblings to play each other in Super Bowl history.

Dubbed as the ‘Kelce Bowl’, NFL fans witnessed a spectacle at State Farm Stadium – home of the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale – as Travis and Patrick Mahomes lifted the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the second time in three seasons after winning their first title together in 2019.

This season, Travis continues to prove why he belongs in the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team, as he broke the Chiefs franchise record for career receiving yards against the Miami Dolphins in November. He also became the fastest tight end to reach 11,000 career receiving yards, and is on the verge of having the most 1,000+ yard seasons among current and retired players in his position (eight).

And things have been going well off the field, too. Travis is dating Taylor Swift, with the couple going from strength to strength, although some have been pointing fingers at the pop star for the Chiefs enduring a recent wobble in form.

So after an eventful year which saw him reach more highs than lows, what can we expect from Trav’ in 2024? Here, DailyMail.com takes a look at what’s to come for the Chiefs’ No. 87.

Travis Kelce has a lot of thinking to do regardless of the Chiefs reaching the Super Bowl again

Travis is said to have ‘big plans’ for himself and Taylor in 2024, starting in the offseason in Feb.

Travis, 35, made a lot more media appearances in 2023 than he did through most of his career

Early Retirement

Let’s start with perhaps the touchiest of possibilities – Travis retiring just a year shy from 35, that is. Oh, to be 22, again…

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the eight-time Pro Bowler admitted that he’s becoming more and more aware of the pain and injuries his body sustains from playing week in and week out for six months from September to February.

‘That’s the only thing I’ve never really been open about, the discomfort. The pain,’ Travis said in November. ‘The lingering injuries — the 10 surgeries I’ve had that I still feel every single surgery to this day.’

But, four months prior to opening up on how he manifested the best year of his life to WSJ, Travis said he won’t step away from football, simply because he’s entering his mid-30s.

‘Till the wheels fall off, baby,’ Kelce said at Chiefs mandatory minicamp in June. ‘I love this game. I know I’m going to miss it when I’m done playing.’

Travis admitted to still feeling the 10 surgeries he’s had ‘to this day’ after 11 seasons in the NFL

Finishing his career back in his hometown

In a world full of surprises, who could possibly imagine Travis donning another NFL team’s jersey other than the Chiefs’ almighty red, white and gold colors?

Well, despite being a loyal servant to Kansas City, the team that drafted him in 2013 and for who he has played on for 11 seasons, Travis revealed his childhood dream of playing for the Cleveland Browns in the fall, having been raised in Westlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland.

He made the confession on his ‘New Heights’ podcast with rapper-rocker Machine Gun Kelly, also a Cleveland native, who offered Travis a $500,000 in cash to gear up in his hometown’s gear before calling time on his career.

‘I’ll tell you what, man, that’s an intriguing offer – an intriguing offer,’ Travis said in response to MGK’s bid to bring him back to his roots. ‘Because you know how much we love the east side of Cleveland. You already know, brother.’

Only time will tell…