Travis Kelce has dropped a major hint that he will no longer be a Kansas City Chiefs player next season amid fears he could be set to retire.
Kelce and the Chiefs are still reeling from a nightmare defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers which officially eliminated them from playoff contention at the weekend.
It is unfamiliar territory for the former back-to-back Super Bowl champions, who had not failed to make the postseason since 2014 prior to Sunday’s 16-13 loss – which was Kelce’s second year in Kansas City.
After weighing up retirement in the previous offseason, the legendary tight end decided that he couldn’t go out on the back of their Super Bowl LIX thrashing at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles, instead opting to play on for a 13th year in the NFL.
Though just 10 months later, his Chiefs future has already been thrown into doubt again following their playoff elimination.
On the latest episode of his and older brother Jason’s New Heights podcast, fans are convinced Kelce gave away a huge tell-tale sign that he plans to retire after referring to the team as ‘the Chiefs’ rather than ‘we’.
Travis Kelce has dropped a major hint that he won’t be a Kansas City Chiefs player next season
On New Heights, the tight end sparked retirement fears by referring to his team as ‘the Chiefs’
When discussing teammate and good friend Patrick Mahomes’ horror ACL injury, the 36-year-old said: ‘He’s a fearless, fearless warrior when it comes to this football thing. He’s gonna make sure he comes back stronger than ever.
‘Hopefully the Chiefs can get him back as soon as possible.’
A number of Kansas City supporters were quick to conclude that Kelce’s choice of wording indicates he will hang up his cleats in the offseason.
One asked on X: ‘Why does he say the chiefs instead of WE?’
Another put: ‘It’s pretty telling he says “the Chiefs” instead of “we”’.
‘[Him] saying the Chiefs like that and not “we” tells you all you need to know. This is his last season,’ a third claimed.
‘He didn’t say We! You retiring Travis,’ wrote a fourth.
Kelce and the Chiefs have been eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2014
The 36-year-old is poised to tie the knot with fiancee Taylor Swift in the summer of 2026
While one predicted: ‘Travis about to ride off into the sunset and begin his life as Mr. Swift.’
Kelce is poised to tie the knot with fiancee Taylor Swift in June of next year after the couple got engaged back in August.
His upcoming wedding with the pop megastar could tempt him to walk away from the sport for good, allowing him to focus entirely on their big day together.
Older brother Jason, who faced a similar dilemma when he brought his 13-season career with the Eagles to a close at the end of the 2023 season, weighed in on Travis’ upcoming decision during ESPN’s Monday Night Football.
The center-turned-analyst said: ‘In my opinion, to nail that decision, you gotta step away from the game for a little bit. Play these last three games, enjoy them with your teammates, enjoy them with your coaches… And then let it sink in. It’ll come to you with time.
‘There are so many emotions with this game right after a season, especially with the way this one’s been… Right now, it’s just too fresh. You’ve gotta step away from it, you’ve gotta think about it and then it’ll come to you.’
Jason Kelce weighed in on his younger brother Travis’s looming retirement decision on ESPN
However, Jason’s ESPN colleague Ryan Clark suggested there could be another factor in Travis’s decision: Mahomes.
The Chiefs quarterback will not be returning to the field for the remaining three games of the campaign after tearing the ACL and LCL in his left knee in the dying minutes of Sunday’s loss, before undergoing surgery 24 hours later.
Mahomes now faces a race against time to be fit for Week 1 of the 2026 season, with ACL tears typically taking at least nine months to recover from.
‘I just want to say this; it would feel extremely odd if somebody other than Patrick Mahomes throws Travis Kelce his last pass,’ Clark added.
