NFL Great Peyton Manning Shares Retirement Advice for Travis Kelce: ‘I Hope He Takes Some Time’

With the 2024 NFL season officially over, a major decision looms for Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

As the future Hall of Famer mulls retirement, another NFL great weighed in with some advice for the three-time Super Bowl champion.

“I hope he takes some time and he doesn’t make a rushed decision,” legendary quarterback Peyton Manning told E! News at the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special on Sunday, February 16.

“So, the last thing you want to do is say, ‘OK, I’m going to make a decision now,’” he continued. “Take some time. Take a full month. Let some things digest and calm down. He can make a better decision then.”

Kelce, 35, has admitted he’s not sure if he’s going to play again next year. He has one year remaining on his contract with the Chiefs, who lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX earlier this month. Despite his team reaching the Super Bowl, it was arguably the worst statistical season of Kelce’s career, and as he gets older, it’s fair for him to consider hanging it up.
The tight end recently indicated on his “New Heights” podcast that he plans to do exactly what Manning, 48, suggested and take his time with his decision.

“I know everybody wants to know whether or not I’m playing next year and right now I’m just kicking everything down the road,” he said on the Wednesday, February 12, episode. “I’m not making any crazy decisions but right now the biggest thing is just being there for my teammates and being there for my coaches, understanding that a lot that goes into this thing.”
I’m gonna take some time to figure it out,” he added. “I think I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back, that it’s gonna be something that it’s a wholehearted decision … It’s just whether or not I’m motivated or it’s the best decision for me as a man, as a human, as a person, to take on all that responsibility.”

But while Kelce contemplates his future, it appears he has a deadline. The Athletic reported on Friday, February 14, that the Chiefs have given him one month to inform them of his decision.

For now, it appears Kelce has plenty of people rooting for his return, including girlfriend Taylor Swift.

She’s fully encouraging me to enjoy playing this game,” Kelce told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith in January. “She loves coming to Arrowhead [Stadium] and coming to the games and cheering for me, so I got all the support in the world to keep chasing these dreams.”

Manning is also rooting for one more year from Kelce.

“I hope he comes back and plays,” he told E! on Sunday. “He’s fun to watch, but he’s got to do what’s best for him.”