Unlike last season, the Kansas City Chiefs’ offseason doesn’t hinge on whether or not star tight end Travis Kelce will retire or return for another year or ride off into the sunset with fiancee Taylor Swift.
But what Kelce ultimately decides to do is certainly one of the biggest storylines in KC again this year.
The 36-year-old rebounded from the worst season statistically of his career in 2024 to lead the Chiefs in receptions (76), yards (851), and touchdowns (five) last season, proving he’s still a valuable piece of the team’s passing attack.
And with star quarterback Patrick Mahomes potentially missing the beginning of the 2026 season while recovering from an ACL injury, keeping a safety net like Kelce around may be what’s best for business.
“There is communication; that’s the main thing,” head coach Andy Reid told reporters last week. “That means people want to move forward. I think that’s where Trav is. I’m not trying to put words in his mouth at all, and I try to give him some space here. He’s been doing this a long time, and he can sort all that out as he goes forward. We’re proceeding with that, and there is communication.”
Though there’s been no word from Kelce’s camp about whether or not he’s leaning one way or another, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero recently revealed that all signs do seem to be pointing one way.
“They have already been in contract talks,” Pelissero said on the “Rich Eisen Show.” “It seems like this is trending toward Travis coming back and playing for Kansas City, but nothing is done until it’s done. Obviously, Travis has a lot going on in his life outside of football and decisions to make. He may not have the howitzer anymore in terms of the top end speed that he did back in the day, but he’s still a functional NFL tight end.
“Remember this: in an offseason where Patrick Mahomes by virtue of having his ACL and LCL repaired, he’s going to miss a substantial chunk of time — probably the entire (offseason), maybe into training camp. If you also don’t have Travis Kelce back — from a leadership perspective, from an offense functioning perspective — it’s going to create some challenges.”
Pelissero also alluded to Kelce telling reporters it’ll be great to see newly hired offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who served in the same position in KC from 2018 to 2022, being a tell that he’s leaning toward coming back for his 14th NFL season.