Alongside Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, Travis Kelce is perhaps the biggest reason for the Kansas City Chiefs’ dominance. As they make their way to their fifth Super Bowl in the last six years, it doesn’t seem like they’re slowing down in the slightest. However, at 35, rumors of the legendary tight end calling it quits are starting to emerge.
Even though his future remains uncertain, one group that will certainly be happy with him gone are the defenders tasked with slowing him down. Kelce, for over a decade, has been terrorizing every team in his path. And San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, who’s gone up against him in two different Super Bowls, isn’t mincing words about his relief.
Fred Warner Is All for Travis Kelce Retiring
Over the last two seasons, the Chiefs veteran has seen a major drop in production. Both of those years have been the only two seasons where he didn’t record 1,000 receiving yards since he first hit the milestone in 2016.
As a result, with a blossoming relationship with arguably the biggest superstar on the planet, Taylor Swift, those retirement scenarios keep getting louder. If he does call it quits, Warner would welcome the change with open arms.
Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show,” the linebacker for the 49ers was honest in his assessment of the Chiefs and Kelce. His first round of praise, though, went to quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“There’s such a thing as having been there and done that, and being able to win the big game. He’s been able to do that, obviously, over and over again.” Then, when the conversation shifted to Kelce, Warner had to compliment his on-field talents, but also his mental conditioning.
“It’s honestly his mind. I don’t know what he thinks about, how he approaches the game. But the savvy that he plays with is unlike any other tight end because when you go and you watch a tight end and prepare all week long, you’re like, ‘Okay, he runs a corner route or he’s gonna run an in-route.’ But Travis, he might have a corner route on, but he’ll run a post.
“He’ll kind of just find some space and just sit down and then you think you got him in coverage, and then he just works away from you. He’s a hooper and he talks a little trash too so then he getting into your mind game too.”
"Patrick Mahomes has IT..
Travis Kelce is a hooper and he talks a little trash too..
Hopefully this is his last season" 😂😂@fred_warner #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/YQBK61NwEm
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 5, 2025
But with all of the praise, Warner also joked that he wished that Kelce would retire after this season, as he would have one less thing to worry about on defense. “Hopefully this is his last season. He retires and goes off into the sunset and we ain’t gotta deal with him.”
Pat McAfee, the host of the show, confirmed that there was a slim chance he would call it quits. During media night ahead of Super Bowl LIX, Kelce was asked about the rumors and he was quick to shut them down.
“Where will I be in three years? Oh man, I don’t know, hopefully still playing football,” he said. “I love doing this, I love coming into work every day and I still feel like I still got a lot of good football left in me. … For the most part, I plan on being a Kansas City Chief and playing football.”
#Chiefs TE Travis Kelce was asked about the future of his football career:
"Where will I be in 3 years? Hopefully still playing football…For the most part, I plan on being a Kansas City Chief and playing football."#SuperBowlLIX | #ChiefsKingdom | @KSHB41 pic.twitter.com/31IIdB3NYy
— Matt Foster (@MattFosterTV) February 4, 2025
Despite the dip in regular-season production, Kelce has been a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs. Last year, en route to the Chiefs going back-to-back, he tallied 355 yards and three touchdowns, among the best numbers of his career. This season, too, he had a season-high 117 yards in the Divisional Round against the Houston Texans.
It looks like Warner and the rest of the league will have to continue to deal with more of Kelce’s dominance as he enters the twilight of his career.
