After such a disastrous showing in 2025, the Kansas City Chiefs face several questions on every front. That includes leadership structure, coaching concerns, and roster issues on both sides of the ball. However, the one subject on everyone’s mind following the Chiefs’ season-ending loss to the Las Vegas Raiders is whether or not Travis Kelce’s career is over.
A 14–12 loss to the Raiders in Week 18 sealed a 6–11 finish and officially closed the book on a jarring season, one that ruined the plans that Kelce had to come back and finish strong after suffering through a lopsided defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
This season, Kelce finished with 75 catches for 849 yards and 5 touchdowns, a strong season by any metric at the position but made even more impressive by the fact that Kelce is in his 13th NFL season at the age of 36. However, finishing the year with Patrick Mahomes on the sideline due to a torn ACL removed any offensive spark for the Chiefs. That left Kelce limping to the finish line with 8 catches in his final three games.
Following the Chiefs’ loss, Kelce spoke with reporters from the locker room—something he hasn’t done in recent weeks—about whether or not he would be returning. He didn’t make any declarative statements, but he did offer up an honest take.
“Just proud of the way we finished this, even though it ended the way it did,” said Kelce. “Guys still showed up, gave it their all, and that’s all you can ask for, man. I got so much love for this team, this organization, and the people here. I’ll spend some time with them, go through exit meetings tomorrow, and get close to the family and figure things out.”
Last year, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid asked Kelce to take some time away from the game before coming to a decision about a return in 2025. When asked about whether or not he would seek that same distance, Kelce wasn’t even sure about that.
Of all of the questions involving the Kansas City Chiefs offseason, Travis Kelce’s future is top of the list.
“Who knows? Either it hits me quick or I’ve gotta take some time. I think last year was a little bit easier. I knew right away I wanted to kind of give this one a shot. So I don’t know. We’ll see,” he said.
One of the vital components of Kelce’s decision to return for this season was his vow to come back in better shape than ever, ready for the rigors of a long NFL season. To that end, Kelce said he felt like he met his goal.
“Yeah, obviously, we didn’t do as well as a team, but I felt like I came into the season prepared and ready to rock and roll with the right intentions, and the ball just didn’t go our way in a lot of those close games, unfortunately. I think if I do choose to come back, that’s something I really gotta focus on and make sure that I’m available and ready for those moments.”
As cloudy as things are for the Chiefs overall, fans are going to be focused on Kelce’s future more than any other concern going into the team’s offseason. It sounds as if Kelce himself isn’t quite sure what he will do, but it will be a tough decision either way, knowing just how much work it takes to come back to something that could go completely sideways.
🚨 BREAKING: The Los Angeles Lakers are in a race against time to secure standout guard Kobe Bufkin before the January 7 contract guarantee deadline. Currently playing for the South Bay Lakers without a standard NBA deal, Bufkin’s elite G League production has made him a prime target for rival teams looking to snatch him away for nothing.nqt
Because he isn’t tied to an NBA deal, any NBA team can sign him without compensation to the Lakers, creating a risk that Los Angeles could lose a rising guard.
Bufkin recently delivered standout performances, including a 26-point game with key plays down the stretch.
Drafted 15th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2023, injuries and inconsistent NBA chances slowed his early professional career before he found rhythm in the G League.
Through 11 games this season, he’s averaging 26.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting nearly 42% from three, numbers that have put him squarely on front offices’ radars.
Bufkin also earned a brief call-up to the Memphis Grizzlies on a hardship exception last November, highlighting league-wide interest.
With standard and two-way NBA deals becoming fully guaranteed on January 7, the Lakers face a narrowing window to secure Bufkin before another team pounces.
