The Kansas City Chiefs and Travis Kelce have been synonymous for more than a decade, especially the last few years as they’ve won two Super Bowls and made five straight appearances in the AFC Championship Game, and the starting tight end has played a vital role in each major accomplishment for the franchise.

Along with his best friend, quarterbackhis dynamic duo is feared on game days by opponents and loved by just about everyone that watches football (unless you’re a fan of that team on game day).

But the reality of Kelce’s situation with the Chiefs is that he is 34 years old. In football terms, it means you’re getting old, to the point where thinking about retirement must come into play.

quitting the game anytime soon. The Chiefs have him under contract, making just over $14 million per season until 2026, when he’ll be an unrestricted free agent at 37 years old.

However, in an in-depth look at the life of one of the most recognizable talents in the game – who is destined for the Hall of Fame as arguably the best tight end ever”That’s the only thing I’ve never really been open about, the discomfort. The pain. The lingering injuries – the 10 surgeries I’ve had that I still feel every single surgery to this day,” Kelce said.

But that’s football, unfortunately. All players must keep going through the grueling injuries, bruises, scratches and so on.

“He has phenomenal pain tolerance,” Chiefs tight ends coach Tom Melvin said. “He’s played through things that other athletes I’ve coached through the years have not been able to push through. Mentally tough – way off the charts.”