The Kansas City Chiefs could look quite different when the 2025 NFL season begins with players due new contracts and possible departures from the roster.
One big name who might return or may say goodbye to football forever is tight end Travis Kelce. The three-time Super Bowl champion and four-time First-team All-Pro will turn 36 in October and has reportedly been contemplating retirement.
On this week’s episode of the “New Heights” podcast with his brother, Jason, Travis Kelce said he was going to take his time before making a decision about whether he comes back to the Chiefs next season.
“I know everybody wants to know whether or not I’m playing next year and right now I’m just kicking everything down the road. I’m kicking every can I can down the road,” Kelce said. “I am not making any crazy decisions, but right now the biggest thing is just being there for my teammates and being there for my coaches understanding that there’s a lot that goes into this thing.”
Jason Kelce retired after the 2023 season following a 13-year career with the Philadelphia Eagles. During the segment about Travis’ future, Jason talked about how tough it is to get back up for another season knowing what it takes in order to play at such a high level.
Related to what needs to be done in the offseason to prepare for an NFL season, Kelce, who has played 200 total regular season and playoff games in his career, mentioned the toll long seasons take on the body. The Chiefs have played 19 playoff games over the past six seasons — with three of those seasons ending with Super Bowl victories.
“The fact that we keep going to these AFC championships and Super Bowls, that means I’m playing an extra three games more than everybody else in the entire league,” Kelce said. “That’s a lot of wear and tear on your body. It’s a lot of time spent in the building. That process can be grueling. It can weigh on you. It can make you better and it can drive you crazy at the same time. Right now, it was one of those things where it was driving me crazy this year. It happens as you tail off towards the back nine of your career.”
Production-wise, Kelce had his seventh-straight season with at least 90 receptions but recorded his lowest total receiving yards (823) since 2015 and the fewest touchdowns (3) in his career. He posted only 175 receiving yards and one touchdown on 13 receptions in the postseason. That downward statistical trend compared to the numbers he’s typically posted over his career is also something that’s weighed on his mind.
“As you see yourself or feel yourself not having this success that you once used to have, it’s a tough pill to swallow,” Kelce said. “On top of that, to not be there in the biggest moments, knowing your team is counting on you, those are all extremely hard things — it’s just a tough reality.”
Kelce had four receptions for 39 yards on six targets in the Super Bowl loss to the Eagles on Sunday.
When it comes to what he will do next, Kelce said he owes it to his teammates to make a “wholehearted decision.”
“I’m not half-assing it. I’m fully here for them and I think I can play,” Kelce said. “It’s just whether or not I’m motivated or if it’s the best decision for me as a man, as a human, as a person to take on all that responsibility.”
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