After months of uncertainty surrounding his future, Travis Kelce appears poised to continue his football career.
A new report from The Athletic indicates the longtime Kansas City Chiefs tight end is leaning toward playing a 14th NFL season rather than retiring this offseason, though it remains unclear whether his next chapter will be in Kansas City.
Kelce’s current contract with the Chiefs expires on March 11, and according to the report, his representatives are expected to speak with multiple teams as free agency approaches. The 36-year-old has spent his entire 13-season career with Kansas City after being drafted by the franchise in 2013, helping lead the team to three Super Bowl titles.
The update arrives after a difficult season for the Chiefs, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014 and lost quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a season-ending ACL and LCL injury late in the year. Despite the team’s struggles, Kelce still produced more than 800 receiving yards and remained a central figure in the offense.
Kansas City leadership has publicly supported whatever decision Kelce ultimately makes. During a January appearance on Good Morning Football, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said the organization would welcome the veteran back.
The potential return marks a shift from the uncertainty Kelce expressed earlier this winter. Following the Chiefs’ disappointing season, he admitted he was still weighing whether to continue playing. In an interview with Chiefs legend Tony Gonzalez, Kelce said he was “still searching for those answers” about retirement, acknowledging the season ended with “a sour taste.”
He also indicated that the decision would partly depend on how his body feels after time away from football. “If 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,” Kelce said on the New Heights podcast, “I think I would do it in a heartbeat.”