ESPN Analyst Calls for Travis Kelce to Retire: ‘It’s Time’

After a blowout loss in Super Bowl LIX, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce admitted he needed some time away from the game before making a final decision on playing in 2025.

Ahead of the Super Bowl when asked where he saw himself in three years, Kelce suggested he still wanted to be playing the game. However, following a 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the biggest games of the season, the future Hall of Fame tight end shed a few doubts on his football future.

That has one ESPN analyst and former NFL player suggesting that Kelce should hang up his cleats.

Former NFL defensive lineman and current ESPN analyst Booger McFarland believes once a player is considering retirement, they should step away from the game.

“I retired from the National Football League after nine years. I knew it was time to retire when I was thinking about retirement. The fact that Travis Kelce, who is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, is thinking about retiring, I think it’s time for him to go on,” McFarland said, via On3Sports.

“It doesn’t mean that he still doesn’t have some football left. It just means that mentally you’re already at that position of retirement, it’s time to go ahead and go. His physical skills are diminishing a little bit. I thought he played his worst football game that I’ve ever seen him play in the Super Bowl. I get it, you don’t want to go out on that note. But at some point, let’s not tarnish the legacy that you built.”

While he believes it’s time for Kelce to step away from the game, McFarland did admit that he shouldn’t be forced into the decision.

“I’m not forcing him. He’s earned the right to make that decision on his own. But when you start talking about it, it’s usually time to go ahead and go.”

If Kelce retires, he’ll go down as arguably the best to ever do it, with 1,004 receptions for 12,151 yards and 77 touchdowns in the regular season.