The Chiefs don’t want Travis Kelce in his retirement era just yet.
As rumors swirl about whether the Kansas City tight end will retire, with the latest buzz being that he is eying a return and the Chiefs are making it known they would like him back, according to NFL Network.
The sides plan to discuss a potential 14th season together following Super Bowl 2026.
Kelce has not made a decision, per NFL Network, but has been in touch with the team.
This is the second offseason in which retirement rumors have surrounded Kelce, but he sits in a much different spot this time around.
Last year, Kelce and the Chiefs saw their quest for a three-peat dashed in a beatdown by the Eagles.
The 36-year-old ultimately came back with the hope of returning to the top of the mountain.
Well, that didn’t happen.
The Chiefs had their worst season of his career, going 6-11 and missing the playoffs for just the second time in his tenure.
Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending injury that could affect his availability for next year, and Kelce had another mediocre year by his standards, tallying 851 yards following his 823-yard season in 2024.
Some have wondered if the state of the franchise, particularly with uncertainty surrounding Mahomes, could send Kelce into retirement and allow him to focus on his upcoming wedding to Taylor Swift.
The sides would first have to agree to a new deal, with Kelce’s two-year contract extension expiring after the season and the team facing cap issues.
Those cap hurdles could force some tough changes for the perennial contender coming off a bad season, and the team has already changed out Matt Nagy for Eric Bieniemy as its offensive coordinator.
Kelce approved of that move.
“I can’t wait to see him back in the building, man,” Kelce said in January on his “New Heights” podcast. “He’s one of my favorite coaches of all-time, one of my favorite people of all time. I’ve had so many unbelievable growing moments under him as a player, as a person, and I just love the guy. And it’s gonna be awesome to see him back in the building and see him back wearing the Chiefs logo, baby.”
