Travis Kelce Retirement Likely Postponed For Another Year

Entering the 2025 NFL off-season, there were lingering questions about the future of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. But according to the team’s general manager, the option of retirement is not one that Kelce is considering this year, and he will be back to play for his 13th season in the league.

Travis Kelce Likely Putting Off Retirement, Set To Return To KC

While still considered to be an elite player at his position, Kelce has seen his production fall off in recent years. He has now gone back-to-back seasons without reaching the 1,000 receiving yards plateau after getting there in each of the previous seven years, and his 3 touchdowns in 2024 was his lowest total since becoming a starter back in 2014.

The playoffs are where he typically comes up big, but he was mediocre at best in the AFC Championship Game as well as the Super Bowl. In those two contests, Kelce combined for 6 catches and 58 yards, and failed to reach the end zone a single time.

His lackluster performance, advancing age, and off-field ventures led many to believe that Travis Kelce could be considering retiring from the game of football completely.

#Chiefs GM Brett Veach said at the Combine that TE Travis Kelce is “fired up” about entering the final year of his contract and playing.

“We left it as, he’d be back and we’re excited to get him back and get him going.”

Significant news for KC, as Kelce is set to return. pic.twitter.com/B8jjnmdV9E

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 25, 2025

But based on the statements made by Chiefs’ general manager Brett Veach, the future Hall of Famer is very likely to return for at least the 2025 campaign. When asked about Kelce during the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Veach said that the tight end is “fired up” about entering the final year of his contact, and that the team is “excited to get him back and get him going.”

The Chiefs have some unfinished business after blowing their chance at the first Super Bowl three-peat in NFL history. Things may have been different for Kelce had Kansas City taken care of business against the Eagles a few weeks back, but a bad taste now lingers for Chiefs players, and they will be out for redemption in 2025.

Travis Kelce will turn 36 years old during the upcoming NFL season. After passing Antonio Gates on the all-time receiving yards list for tight ends last year, he is just shy of 1,000 yards away from eclipsing Jason Witten for second on the list. Tony Gonzalez sits in first place, with nearly 3,000 more yards than Kelce’s current total.