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The Kansas City Chiefs three-peating as Super Bowl champions would likely be a major factor in tight end Travis Kelce's retirement decision, according to former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky.
“Kelce is fully capable of being the difference maker. I think he’s got one great run left,” Orlovsky said during an appearance on First Take Friday (January 17). “I think if he goes and has that vintage Kelce performances, which I fully 1. think he’s capable of, and 2. will do, and they go on and three-peat, I think retirement becomes a very real thing for Travis Kelce.
“There would be nothing else to accomplish. He’d be arguably the greatest tight end of all time. He would be the tight end that was part of [Chiefs] only three-peat in the history of the NFL. He’s obviously later in his career. I don’t think there would be anything left. And I think he’s got one, elite, great, difference-maker, vintage, ‘oh my Gosh, he did it again’ run left in him.”
Kelce recently surpassed the 1,000 career receptions plateau and became the Chiefs' all-time leader in touchdown receptions, but has seen his numbers decline, recording 823 yards and three touchdowns, his lowest single-season totals in both categories since becoming a starter in 2014.
“I love everything that I’m doing … but at the end of the day, I’m not having that extreme success on the field,” Kelce said during an appearance on the Stephen A. Smith Show Wednesday (January 16). “I’m excited for these next couple of games … to finish this season off. I’ll reevaluate it like I always do [and] I’ll probably tell myself how much I love this thing and I’ll come back next year.”
The Chiefs are coming off back-to-back Super Bowl victories and have won in three of the last five years.