The future of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce became one of the most closely watched storylines of the offseason following the conclusion of his 13th NFL season. At 36 years old, Kelce entered the offseason with retirement firmly on the table. The veteran tight end confirmed he would take time after the season to evaluate his future, weighing both his health and desire to continue playing before making a final decision.
The uncertainty was understandable given the way the 2025 season unfolded. While Kelce remained productive, his numbers were noticeably lower than during his prime years. He finished the 2025 season with exactly 76 receptions for 851 receiving yards and five touchdowns across 17 games, averaging 11.2 yards per catch and 50.1 receiving yards per game.
Those totals still earned Kelce another Pro Bowl selection, but they marked a decline compared to the seven 1,000-yard seasons he produced during his peak with the Chiefs.
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The season was also disappointing for Kansas City as a whole. The Chiefs finished 6-11 and failed to reach the playoffs, marking only the second time in Kelce’s career that the franchise missed the postseason.
Amid speculation, a clearer picture of Kelce’s plans emerged Monday. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the veteran tight end has effectively sent a message across the league: he intends to return to the Chiefs for a 14th NFL season.
Rapoport noted that Kelce already sent this message to teams that might have explored signing him in free agency.
Kelce was expected to command top dollar on the open market. Instead, Kelce appears committed to staying in Kansas City, preferring his long-standing partnership with quarterback Patrick Mahomes in hopes of pursuing another Super Bowl with the franchise that drafted him in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
