33-year-old Travis Kelce on how long he’ll play: ‘Until the wheels fall off, baby’

Kansas City Chiefs fans concerned that tight end Travis Kelce’s age-33 season (he’ll be 34 in October) could be his last — or even one of his last — could breathe a slight sigh of relief on Tuesday.

In what some might dub the “offseason of Kelce” — considering his continued podcast success, “Saturday Night Live” appearance and upcoming appearance on “The Match” — there had been some chatter about how long the future Pro Football Hall of Famer planned to continue playing. After all, he did recently sign representation specifically for off-the-field opportunities.

But at least for now, according to Kelce, that subject matter can wait... indefinitely.

“Until the wheels fall off, baby,” he told reporters. “I love this game, man. I know I’m going to miss it when I’m done playing. I hear you on that, and that’s a business decision I’m sure I’ll have to make at some point in my life, but for right now, I’m in this building wanting to win football games, man.”

Kelce is amidst a historic span regarding tight ends — or, really, pass-catchers in general. He has accumulated 1,000 yards or more each year for seven seasons and counting.

And as Kelce gets older, he knows he needs to remain hard on himself, explaining that he tries to remain his own “worst critic” at all times.

“I can’t watch myself on film without just absolutely telling myself that I suck 90% of the time,” he laughed. “There are times when, you know, it’s fun, and you make a play, or you get open, and you make a good route, or you make a good block. But at the same time, you have to be your own worst critic. You can’t sit there on the time that you have success.

“There’s always chances where you can just keep getting better and getting better; that’s just kind of the mentality I always had in my athletic career.”