Chiefs News: Travis Kelce on whether he will retire after 2025

On Wednesday, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce met with local reporters for the first time since his decision to return to the league for his 13th season. Kelce’s current contract runs through the 2025 season, which has long been perceived as a logical end point.

However, the 35-year-old held back from confirming the grand finale.

“I got one year on this contract; I know that,” said Kelce. “And we’ll try and figure out something for next year. The Chiefs’ organization knows how much I love them. I can’t see myself ever playing anywhere else, so we’ll deal with that down the road when the time is right. But right now, I’m focused on winning a championship this year.”

In Kelce’s initial “New Heights” podcast after the Super Bowl, he told listeners that he would “kick the decision down the road,” emphasizing how taxing all of the Chiefs’ extra playoff games over the year had taken a toll on his body.

It only took a few weeks for Kelce to realize he still had the deep passion necessary to compete at a high level.

“You want to let the emotions die down,” he said of the process. “That was the biggest thing — you don’t want to make decisions off initial emotions. But for the most part, once they died down, I still felt like I had that fire in my chest to keep coming in, building, being better, and chasing the Super Bowl.”

By late February’s Scouting Combine, head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach were already talking as if Kelce was locked in. And so the tight end got back to work.

“That decision for me needs to be made back in March and early April,” said Kelce. “You set the tone and you put a regimen together that gets your mindset, gets your body — and really from there, you can start to tweak your skill set. You have to evolve every single year in all phases of the game. You already know. That started back in March, and we’re already on track.”

In his turn at the podium, quarterback Patrick Mahomes disclosed that he didn’t pressed Kelce about the decision.

“We never talked about it,” said the quarterback. “I think you have that in the back of your mind — I mean, for anybody that’s played a lot of football seasons, there’s always a chance. You have to put in the work in the offseason. I think everybody wants to play in the games, but putting the work in the offseason [is] where stuff gets strenuous.”

Kelce skipped the three media-open voluntary organized team activity (OTA) sessions but has been present for both days of mandatory minicamp. Ideally, he’ll shoulder a lighter workload in 2025 than he had in his first 12 NFL seasons, working as a secondary option behind wideout Rashee Rice.

Kelce hasn’t shed the reported 25 pounds, but he confirmed he’s lighter than he was in February.

“For him, I think it was recalibrating, seeing where he was at and then from what I’ve seen,” said Mahomes. “I think y’all can see it — he’s ready to go. He’s been putting in the work this offseason, and he’s excited for another chance to make a run at it.”

Kelce may be closer than ever to his final day in an NFL uniform, but he maintains he isn’t thinking that far ahead. Right now, it’s one more go-round of getting to do the thing he treasures the most.

“I love football,” said Kelce. “I don’t think I really thought about it that much. My friends and family and the team and the guys and women in this building — I love coming into work every single day. It wasn’t a very tough one for me. I know I’m getting older, but at the same time, I still feel like I got a lot that I can prove in this league. With that being said, it really wasn’t that hard of a decision for me.”

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