Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, in the final year of his contract at age 36, plans to delay any retirement decision until after the 2025 season. He emphasized not wanting to leave the team in limbo during offseason planning. Kelce remains productive, leading the Chiefs with 50 catches for 631 yards and four touchdowns through 10 games.
Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce addressed speculation about his future on Wednesday, stating he won't make a decision on retirement until after the 2025 season. Entering his 13th NFL season and the final year of his contract, the 36-year-old Kelce wants to provide clarity for the franchise without disrupting their roster-building process.
"I want to give the Chiefs a good opportunity, whether I come back or not -- or whether they want me back or not," Kelce said, via ESPN. "I'd like to make that decision before they've got to get draft picks and free agency opens to fill the roster appropriately. All that will be at the end of the season. I won't be thinking about it until then."
Despite his age, Kelce continues to perform at a high level. Through 10 games, he leads the Chiefs with 50 receptions for 631 yards and four touchdowns. Historically, Kelce ranks third all-time among tight ends in receiving yards with 12,782, behind Jason Witten (13,046) and Tony Gonzalez (15,127). He holds Kansas City franchise records for tight ends in receptions (1,054), receiving yards, and touchdowns (81).
A three-time Super Bowl champion, Kelce is the NFL's all-time postseason leader in receptions with 178. He and quarterback Patrick Mahomes have connected for 18 playoff touchdowns, the most by any duo in NFL history, surpassing Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski by three.
Kelce's return for this season was motivated by the Chiefs' 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. "It was probably the biggest factor," Kelce said, via NFL.com. "I mean, it's a pretty cool way to go out, but I just think I would still have this love for the game."
With the Chiefs at 5-5 entering Week 12, Kelce is focused on the present. "I think the biggest thing is that I f-----g love playing the game of football," he said this offseason. "I love playing. I still feel like I can play it at a high level... I got a bad taste in my mouth in how I ended last year."