The 2025 campaign didn’t go as planned for the Chiefs, who will not make a fourth straight Super Bowl trip. The Chiefs’ streak of 10 consecutive playoff berths snapped during a 6-11 season in which quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL. A healthy Mahomes will aim to rebound in 2026, but it’s unknown whether he has thrown his last pass to his favorite target, tight end Travis Kelce.
While Kelce is set to become a free agent, the career-long Chief seems more likely to retire than to sign with another team. After a season-ending loss to the Raiders on Sunday, the 36-year-old indicated he hasn’t made a decision on whether to continue his career in 2026 (via Jesse Newell of The Athletic).
“I mean, who knows? Who knows? Either it hits me quick, or I’ve got to take some time,” Kelce said. “I think last year was a little bit easier. I think I knew right away I wanted to give this one a shot. So we’ll see.”
Kelce considered retirement after the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIX loss to the Eagles last February, but it wasn’t a drawn-out process. Just under three weeks later, it became clear he’d play again in 2025. While it went down as a disappointing year for the team, Kelce remained among the NFL’s most productive tight ends. He led Chiefs skill players in offensive snap share (81%) while finishing fourth at his position in yards (851), sixth in catches (76) and 13th in touchdowns (five).
Kelce only totaled 12 yards in Week 18, but it was enough to reach the 13,000-yard mark for his career. The 13-year veteran became the quickest tight end to achieve that milestone, doing so in 192 games. Kelce ranks third all-time at his position in receptions (1,080) and yards (13,002), and he’s fifth in TDs (82). While it’s possible Kelce won’t add to those numbers, longtime teammate Chris Jones expects him to return in 2026
“I’m not buying it,” Jones said of a potential Kelce retirement. “He’ll be back next year.”
If Jones is right, the Chiefs will have to hammer out another agreement with Kelce in the coming months. Kelce is currently scheduled to join names such as Kyle Pitts, David Njoku and Isaiah Likely on the list of free agent tight ends, but it would be shocking to see him don a different uniform in 2026.