It’s all come crumbling down for the Kansas City Chiefs. After making the NFL playoffs in 10 straight seasons and winning three Super Bowl titles in that time, the Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 15, and superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL.
Now, the attention turns to 2026 for Kansas City. Will Travis Kelce be part of that Chiefs team, or will he retire after considering calling it a career last offseason?
Kelce has still been a productive tight end in year 13 of his illustrious NFL career, recording 67 receptions for 797 yards (11.9 AVG) and five touchdowns. While the duo isn’t quite as dynamic as it was in their prime years, Kelce and Mahomes have a terrific chemistry that remains a vital part of Andy Reid’s Chiefs offense.
But with all of the bad vibes around the Chiefs right now, the uncertainty in Mahomes’ 2026 status, Kelce already contemplating retirement last offseason, being set to turn 37 next October, and of course his upcoming wedding with Taylor Swift next June, there’s plenty of speculation that he might retire after the 2025 season.
Ahead of Monday Night Football between the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers, ESPN analyst Jason Kelce addressed the possibility his brother retires. Jason went through the same process recently, retiring from the NFL in March 2024 after starring as a longtime center for the Philadelphia Eagles.
“I think everybody is probably curious about what your brother will do,” ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt said to Jason Kelce on Monday Night Countdown. “You went through the process. And I understand he’ll have a process to go through. Is there a sense about how he’ll approach that?”
.@JasonKelce on whether Travis Kelce is weighing retirement at the end of the season.
“To nail that decision you gotta step away from the game for a little bit … It’s too fresh.” pic.twitter.com/XNcCPIYcZO
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 15, 2025
“Oh, I’m curious too,” Jason Kelce said. “In my opinion, to nail that decision, you gotta step away from the game for a little bit. Play these last three games. Enjoy them with your teammates, enjoy them with your coaches. The team’s going to be different no matter whether you come back or not this year. So, enjoy these last three games. And then let it sink in.”
“It will come to you with time,” Jason Kelce continued. “There’s so many emotions with this game, right after a season. Especially with the way this has been. It’s been so up and down. I mean, they’re 1-7 in one-score games. They’ve been close. And right now, it’s just too fresh. You gotta step away from it. You gotta think about it. And then, yeah, it will come to you.”
Travis Kelce had seven receptions and a game-high 70 receiving yards in the Chiefs’ 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.