Will Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce retire after this football season? Kelce has not yet delivered a public answer to this question, and there’s widespread speculation. But his choice of words when speaking about this decision may tell us which way he’s leaning. It’s a lesson for every communicator. Your choice of words carries meaning, whether you realize it or not. Sometimes that word choice can reveal more than you intended.
The Chiefs just finished a dispiriting season, the first in Kelce’s pro career in which the team did not make the playoffs. Kelce’s current contract with the team ends in March. As many have pointed out, he’s a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame, having broken so many records it’s hard to count them all. He truly has nothing left to prove.
On top of that, he’s engaged to Taylor Swift, with a rumored wedding date of June 13. His looks, charisma, and his incredibly famous fiancée mean there are many opportunities for him in the world of entertainment and sportscasting, beyond the wildly successful New Heights podcast he cohosts with his older brother, former Philadelphia Eagle Jason Kelce.
So there are several good reasons for the younger Kelce to retire this year. On the other hand, many people suspected he would retire a year ago, after the Chiefs failed in their quest for three in a row Super Bowl wins in a humiliating loss to the Eagles. Despite those rumors, he returned to play another season.
Kelce will never lose his love of the game
In January, Kelce shared some of his thoughts on retirement during an episode of New Heights. “I’ve talked to a few people in the facility already, you know, having the exit meetings and everything, and they know where I stand, at least right now,” he said. “And I think there’s a lot of love for the game that’s still there, and I don’t think I’ll ever lose that. And, I don’t know, it’s a tough thing to navigate.”
Then he described the conditions under which he’d continue to play. “If I think my body can heal up and rest up, and I can feel confident that I can go out there and give it another 18-, 20-, 21-week run, I think I would do it in a heartbeat.”
Pay close attention to the word he used in that sentence. I would do it in a heartbeat, not I will do it in a heartbeat. The word would in this sentence indicates that at least some of the requirements he described have not been met. It may seem like a subtle distinction, but consider the two sentences, “I will go to the store” and “I would go to the store.” That second statement implies that there is some reason not to go and therefore the speaker will not go shopping.
We all notice word choices
Kelce isn’t a grammar expert. In fact, his entire sentence is ungrammatical. I doubt he’s ever considered will versus would. But whether we think about them consciously or not, native English speakers are aware of distinctions like this one. Because of that, what he said is so revealing. Kelce’s retirement may not be a certainty. He says he hasn’t decided yet, and that may be true. But “I would do it in a heartbeat” suggests that, at least right now, he thinks he’ll go.
Either way, if you’re a speaker, entrepreneur, or business leader, pay close attention to your choice of words whenever you speak on any important topic. Otherwise, you could wind up telling careful listeners more than you intended.
This article originally appeared on Fast Company’s sister website, Inc.com.
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