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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce responded "hopefully still playing football" when asked where he plans to be in three years during Super Bowl LIX opening night festivities Monday (February 3) amid retirement speculation.
“Hopefully still playing football,” Kelce said via the Associated Press. “I love doing this, I love coming into work every day. I feel like I still have a lot of good football left in me. We’ll see what happens. I know I’ve been setting myself up for other opportunities in my life. That’s always been the goal knowing football only lasts for so long. You have to find a way to get into another career and another profession. I’ve been doing that in my offseason. But for the most part, I plan on being a Kansas City Chief and playing football.”
Kelce, 35, 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. The three-time Super Bowl champion did have a throwback game in the AFC Divisional Round, recording seven receptions for 117 yards and one touchdown.
Kelce enters the Chiefs' Super Bowl LIX matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles as the all-time postseason leader for receptions (174), while also ranking second behind only Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice in receiving yards (2,039) and touchdown catches (20) for the postseason. The Chiefs are looking to become the first team to ever win three consecutive Super Bowls, entering Sunday (February 9) as back-to-back defending champions and having won three of the last five.
Kansas City previously defeated Philadelphia, 38-35, in Super Bowl LVII two years prior.