Travis Kelce’s self-reflection has paved the way for a 13th season with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The 10-time Pro Bowl tight end will return to action in 2025, putting to rest speculation about his future. Kelce confirmed the news Thursday on the X account of “New Heights,” the podcast he co-hosts with his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce.
Audio from the social media post – not Travis Kelce’s voice – declared: “I’m not (expletive) leaving. The show goes on.” It also promised a “full breakdown on next week’s episode!!!” in an apparent teaser to how he arrived at his decision.
NFL Network and ESPN’s Pat McAfee signaled the news earlier in the day after Kelce weighed retirement following Kansas City’s loss to the Eagles in Super Bowl 59.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said Tuesday at the combine that he expected Kelce to be back based on their most recent conversation.
“How we left it at the end of the season is that he was fired up. He has one more year under contract and still think he has that fire and desire to play,” Veach said of Kelce.
Kelce said throughout the lead-up to Super Bowl 59 that he hoped to play for the foreseeable future. But after the 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in which Kelce was held to four catches for 39 yards, he acknowledged that he needed time to contemplate whether he felt confident he could give his all for another year.
“I think I owe it to my teammates that, if I do come back, it’s going to be something that it’s a whole-hearted decision … I’m fully here for them, and I think I could play,” Kelce said on a “New Heights” episode that aired Jan. 12. “It’s just whether or not I’m motivated or it’s the best decision for me as a man, as a human and as a person to take on all of that responsibility.”
Kelce, 35, is coming off a season in which his 823 receiving yards and three touchdowns catches represented his lowest output since his rookie campaign, with defenses regularly blanketing him and forcing Patrick Mahomes to look to other options in a largely unproven receiving corps.
In a November story by the Wall Street Journal, Kelce acknowledged that injuries had taken a significant toll on him throughout his career and prompted his contemplation of retirement. After the Super Bowl, Kelce, who has started 21 playoff games since Mahomes first took over behind center in 2018, said this season had been particularly challenging from a physical standpoint.
