Travis Kelce is officially back and playing for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025.
Last month, Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, made some comments that Kelce’s conduct during OTAs hinted towards the future Hall of Fame tight end having multiple years left in the tank in Kansas City.
And now Kelce has spoken to the media about his feelings regarding his playing future with the Chiefs’ organization, via Underdog NFL,
“I got one year on this contract. I know that.” Kelce said on Wednesday, “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.
“I love football. I don’t think I really thought about it that much” Kelce continued, “…I love coming in to 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’ve got a lot I can prove in this league. With that being said, it really wasn’t that hard of a decision for me.”
Kelce Trying To “Figure Out” Deal For 2026 Season
Kelce is currently playing on the final year of a 2 year, $34 million deal, good for the third highest average per year in the NFL at the position.
Whilst it’s unlikely that he will command a similar sum in 2026 going into his age-36 season, he is without question an invaluable commodity both on and off the field.
The long-time safety blanket for Mahomes, in addition to being one of the unquestioned leaders in the Chiefs’ locker room, Kelce is a core facet of a KC side that has gone to five Super Bowls over the past six seasons, winning three.
How Much Longer Will Kelce Play In The NFL?
Only Travis Kelce himself can know the answer to this, and it is not clear that he himself actually does know when he will finally hang up his much accomplished boots and call it a day.
Kelce has managed to achieve everything that a player could have hoped to achieve; multiple Super Bowl rings, seven All-Pro selections and 10 Pro Bowl nods, but there seems to have been a fire lit up under him coming off a dismal Chiefs’ team performance in Super Bowl LIX, where Kansas City lost 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Although he is not the player that he once was, it could well be that 2025 is Kelce’s final “redemption” season where he empties the tank. Or perhaps it is the year that reinvigorates him and keeps him around for another half decade.
