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Travis Kelce’s potential retirement has been a topic for a few seasons now, but the Kansas City Chiefs superstar won’t be addressing it at all as the playoff push heats up.
But the Chiefs and the rest of the NFL may get a timeline for when that decision will come.
Kelce, who is playing in his 13th NFL season, all with Kansas City, has the door open to a 14th year in the league. However, he is entering the final year of his contract with the Chiefs, raising the question of whether he wishes to return or officially hang up the cleats to wrap up a Hall of Fame career.
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Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on Nov. 16, 2025, in Denver, Colorado. (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Before the Chiefs take on the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, hoping to snap a two-game losing streak, Kelce said he will let the Chiefs know about his decision before NFL free agency begins in March 2026.
“I want to give the Chiefs a good opportunity, whether I come back or not — or whether they want me back or not,” Kelce said, via ESPN. “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.”
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The 36-year-old tight end has discussed his future, more specifically how he wishes to go out. And while his fiancée is all about tours, Kelce is the exact opposite.
He doesn’t want the “farewell tour.”
“That’s not me,” he said.
There are a few reasons to think Kelce will be returning for the 2026 NFL season, and one of them is his production this season. While the Chiefs are 5-5, Patrick Mahomes and Kelce have maintained their patented chemistry on the field — the one that aided in their three Super Bowl victories together. Many questioned what Kelce still had left in the tank after last season, even though a down year for the tight end resulted in 97 catches for 823 yards and three scores.
Kelce is on pace for his eighth 1,000-yard season. He has 50 receptions for 631 yards and four touchdowns through 10 games. He may not be averaging more than 70 yards per game, as he did in his seven straight 1,000-yard seasons, but that’s still 63.1 yards per game — and Mahomes is finding him in the end zone, too.
Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs runs onto the field during the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on Nov. 16, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
The Chiefs have had some receiving problems in 2025, though Rashee Rice being back in the fold after his suspension has sparked a rejuvenated Chiefs’ passing attack. But Kelce’s numbers put him among the best in the NFL at his position.
Only Arizona Cardinals star Trey McBride has more receiving yards this season (718) than Kelce among tight ends, while the veteran leads the Chiefs in targets, receptions, yards and touchdowns.
Kelce gave credit to his teammates for his performance so far this year.
“I think what you’re seeing is I’m a product of my environment right now,” he said. “Everything is predicated off of how the offensive line does and how the guys around us do, and obviously, the chemistry me and [Mahomes] have been able to accumulate over the years.”
“He’s done a heck of a job,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said of his trusty tight end. “He worked like crazy this offseason to get himself in tiptop shape, which you have to do when you are reaching an older age. You’ve got to work a little bit extra, and he did that. It’s paying off for him.”
Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs stands on the sideline during the national anthem prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on Nov. 2, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
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Kelce’s future will continue to be a topic for the remainder of his career, whether that’s after the 2025 campaign or further down the road. It was the same for his older brother, Jason Kelce, when he finally called it quits with the Philadelphia Eagles after the 2023 campaign.
For now, Kelce is focused on helping his Chiefs get back into the playoffs. It appears the AFC West title will belong to a team not named the Chiefs for the first time since 2015 after a loss to the Denver Broncos, who lead the division with a 9-2 record.
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