Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN football analyst Dan Orlovsky offers his thoughts on whether Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce should retire early .
Kelce, 35, recently completed his 12th season in the league. He finished the regular season with 823 receiving yards, marking the second straight year the star tight end failed to reach the 1,000-yard receiving mark.
While Kelce did earn Pro Bowl honors for the tenth consecutive year and is still a productive player, he's certainly closer to the end of his career than the beginning. All of this is happening against the backdrop of the Chiefs' unprecedented pursuit of three consecutive Super Bowls. Orlovsky believes that if the Chiefs end up hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy next month, opting out of the game could become "a very real thing" for the seven-time All-Pro matter".
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce during media day at the Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa in Henderson. Image date: Wednesday, February 7, 2024. (PA Wire/PA Photo via Getty Images)
"Kells has every ability to be a difference-maker," Orlovsky said on ESPN's long-running daytime show "First Take." "I think he has a great season ahead of him."
Travis Kelce Shares Taylor Swift's Thoughts on Top Star's Possible Retirement
"I think if he can continue to have that classic Kelce performance, and I totally think, one, he has the ability to do it, and two, he will do it and they go on to win three straight, I think retirement is going to be a great benefit for the special team. A very real thing for Lavis Kelce.
"There's nothing more that can be accomplished. He's arguably the greatest tight end of all time. He's going to be the only tight end in NFL history to win three straight (Chiefs) titles. He's obviously a latecomer and I don't think he There's nothing left in his career, and I think he has an elite, great, different style about him that says, 'Oh my God, he's done it again.'"
Kelce has been fielding questions about when he decided to end his NFL career. During a recent appearance on "The Stephen A. Smith Show," he admitted that his thoughts on retirement tend to fluctuate, but he plans to "reevaluate" things as he enters the offseason.
Dan Orlovsky watches Super Bowl LXXVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on February 12, 2023 Game between the Philadelphia Eagles. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
"I love what I do ... but at the end of the day, I'm not having a lot of success on the court," Kelce said. "I'm excited for the next few games ... to finish out the season. I'm going to re-evaluate it like I always do, (and) I'll probably tell myself how much I love this, I'll come back next year. "
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce during the first half of an NFL Wild Card Playoff football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, January 16, 2022, in Kansas City, Missouri. 87 years old) caught a touchdown pass 48 yards and scored. (AP Photo/Colin E. Brealey)
The NFL veteran added that pop star Taylor Swift will continue to offer her full support as it relates to his career. "She totally encouraged me to enjoy playing the game," Kelce told Smith.
Click here to get the Fox News app
"I've got all the support in the world to keep chasing these dreams," the three-time Super Bowl champion said, before noting that the "Anti-Hero" singer "loves coming" to watch him and the Chiefs play.
Follow Fox News Digital Sports coverage on Xand subscribe to Fox News Sports Gathering Newsletter.