Stephen A. Smith could see a world in which Travis Kelce retires to spend more time with his fiancée, Taylor Swift.
“I think that you could see the handwriting that’s on the wall,” Smith, 58, told People in an interview published on Tuesday, December 9. “The guy is so talented and there are so many other things that he could do outside of football that now would be the time for him to step away.”
Smith noted that he doesn’t “know anything” about Kelce’s future, and was just “speculating” about what could happen.
“I will tell you that that’s what I think he’s going to do,” he said. “Obviously he has a beautiful lady in his life, where there’s a lot of good things for him to go home to. And so, because of that, I think the combination of all of those things.”
In Smith’s perspective, Kelce, 36, could have a career switchup.
“He would instantly make it in television. Instantly,” Smith said. “He’ll have a job waiting for him the second he’s finished. The second he’s finished, he’ll have a job waiting for him because that’s just what he brings to the table.”
Smith noted that between his various acting endeavors — Kelce had roles in Happy Gilmore 2 and Grotesquerie — and his relationship with Swift, 35, the NFL player could make this season his “last.” But Smith also shared that there are some stats reasons Kelce could hang up his jersey.
“Those of us who know sports, watch sports and watch him all the time, we know he’s not what he used to be,” Smith shared. “He’s still great. He’s a three-time champion. He’s one of the best people you’ll ever meet. He’s a beautiful person. Really, really good to know him, proud of him, the whole bit.”
Smith continued, “But Father Time is undefeated and eventually it creeps up on us all. And no matter how fast he looks — there’s a boatload of people that are faster, that haven’t been through the surgeries, the pain and all the other things that he’s had to endure.”
While speculation about Kelce’s retirement began after the NFL team’s 2025 Super Bowl loss, Smith shared that he “expected” the athlete to return.
“And so obviously I knew he wasn’t going to retire last year because they got beat so badly in the Super Bowl,” he said. “I could not imagine him ending his career on that note. You know? Not like that. Not like that.”
Last month, Kelce gave an update on his potential retirement plans — sharing with reporters that he would give the Kansas City Chiefs notice before he decided to call it quits.
“You know, seeing my brother go through it and seeing … just how the league works, the season kind of restarts in April, and I want to give the Chiefs a good opportunity to know whether I come back or not,” he said, referring to Jason Kelce’s retirement. “And vice versa. Like, whether they want me back or not, it’s one of those things where I’d like to make that decision before they’ve got to get draft picks and free agency opens up.”
He continued, “I’d like to make that decision before they’ve got to get draft picks and free agency opens to fill the roster appropriately … All that will be at the end of the season. I won’t be thinking about it until then.”
