Travis Kelce‘s retirement rumors have been a mainstay of the Kansas City Chiefs‘ offseason drama after a brutal loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
After some initial ponderings, Kelce was reported to be leaning towards coming back; reports that were then magnified by the Chiefs general manager, who was “fired up” to see him again this spring.
However, nothing had been confirmed from the horse’s mouth – until Thursday morning, where a source well-believed to be Kelce issued a five-word reply on the Pat McAfee Show that put all doubts to rest.
“I’m coming back, for sure”.
“I’m going to try to get to the best shape I’ve been this offseason and get back to the mountaintop – got a real bad taste in my mouth with how I played in that last game and how I got the guys ready for battle” Kelce texted to McAfee, “I can’t go out like that.”
Kelce Report Confirms That He Will Play For The Chiefs In 2025
Kelce’s ambiguous words post-Super Bowl defeat added significant amount of uncertainty towards whether the 7 x All-Pro would suit up again in Chiefs uniform.
Yet news has been trending over the past few days very much in the direction of the future Hall of Fame tight end playing this upcoming season, with this new report from McAfee -reputedly from Kelce himself – all but giving it a final stamp of approval.
News broke last week that Kansas City wanted a decision on Kelce’s future to be made prior to March 14, when the team would owe him an $11.5 million signing bonus.
And now the decision is seemingly made, with the team set to run it back with their TE1 for his 13th season as a pro.
How Much Longer Will Kelce Remain A Chief
Kelce’s stint with the team will almost certainly continue until his retirement, unless he and the team have some grave falling out in the next couple of years.
When asked prior to the Super Bowl about where he sees himself in three years time, the 3 x Super Bowl champion stated that he hopes to still be playing football, implying his desire to continue playing through the 2027 season.
Whether that becomes reality; Kelce will 38 years old by then; is a different story, particularly given the apparent decline in his prowess as a receiver over the past couple of years.
Although tight ends have been known to play into their late 30s, more so than virtually any other positions, it is most frequently blocking-dominant tight ends – Kelce’s diametric opposite – who tend to stick around that long in the league. Most notably, Chicago Bears tight end, Mercedes Lewis, who is played last season aged 40.
