As speculation about his NFL future continues to swirl, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has not provided any clarity about a potential retirement.
Kelce, 36, briefly considered hanging up his helmet after the conclusion of last season as a defeat in the Super Bowl.
This season has been defined by struggles on the offense. While Kelce still leads in receiving yards, he hasn’t returned to the heights of his powers seen just years ago. Now, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes likely to miss a large portion of 2026 with an ACL tear, this could be the perfect moment for Kelce to step away.
‘I think I would rather just keep the focus of the media and everything on this team right now and all the conversations I have with the team and everything moving forward will be with them,’ Kelce said when asked about whether he’s given much thought to his future.
‘I think it’s a unique time in my life and unfortunately I got three games left and I know when the season ends this year, typically we go into it and we don’t know when it’s gonna end and that’s the beauty of it.’
Kelce added that he’s, ‘Just trying to make sure that everyone here knows I’m focused on trying to win football games these last three games.’
Kansas City Chiefs superstar tight end Travis Kelce doesn’t want the focus of the last three games of the season to be on his future
Kelce, 36, says he is ‘focused on trying to win football games these last three games’
The tight end added that he’s kept in touch with Mahomes since the quarterback suffered that devastating injury.
Kelce told reporters: ‘I talked to him afterwards, I know it was before the MRI and stuff. But that’s why I kinda chose not to speak to the media right after that game.’
Across 14 games, Kelce has hauled in 797 yards and five touchdowns.
Even with a backup quarterback in Gardner Minshew, Kelce should be able to pass his career-low mark of 823 yards that he set last season.
But the 36-year-old appears past his prime – with multiple mistakes serving as lowlights for this campaign.
While he should pass those 823 yards, Kelce could finish with fewer than 90 catches on the season for the first time since 2017 – his fifth season in the league.
As it stands, the tight end has 67 receptions. He would need to average 7.6 catches per game in his final three contests to pass 90 catches on the year.
However, he’s only hauled in at least seven receptions in three games this season.
Kelce is set for a possible second straight season of statistical lows – following a rough 2024
The Chiefs’ final three contests are against the Tennessee Titans, the Denver Broncos and the Las Vegas Raiders.
From there, Kelce’s future on the field remains up in the air.
Off the field, there’s plenty for him to focus on. In addition to his media career with his ‘New Heights’ podcast, he also has previous acting and TV show hosting gigs which have boosted his profile.
Of course, there’s also the mega-wedding to pop icon Taylor Swift that Kelce has to plan for this summer.
