Travis Kelce is thinking about his future after the Kansas City Chiefs lost their final game of the season.
“First things first, I just love this team,” Kelce, 36, said, in a video shared by Kansas City Star reporter Sam McDowell via X after the NFL team lost to the Las Vegas Raiders 14-12 on Sunday, January 4.
The athlete shared that he’s “proud of the way we finished the season even though it ended the way it did.” He went on to give a shout-out to his teammates who “still showed up and gave it their all” after quarterback Patrick Mahomes succumbed to an injury earlier in the season. (The Chiefs confirmed in December 2025 that Mahomes “successfully underwent surgery” after tearing his ACL.)
While discussing retiring, Kelce added, “I’ve got so much love for this team, this organization and the people here, so I’ll spend some time with them, go through exit meetings tomorrow and get close to the family and figure things out.”
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Kelce shared that he “knew right away” after the 2025 Super Bowl loss that he “wanted to give this [season] a shot.” While reflecting on his decision this time, Kelce said, “We’ll see.”
“Who knows? Either it hits me quick or I gotta take some time,” he said, adding, “I think last year was a little bit easier.”
After a separate reporter asked Kelce whether he felt like he was a “better player” this season, he replied, “Obviously, we didn’t do as well as a team, but I felt like I came into the season prepared and ready to rock and roll with the right intentions.”
In Kelce’s perspective of this season, the “ball just didn’t go our way in a lot of those close games, unfortunately.” If he does “choose to come back” for another season, Kelce said, “That’s something I’ve really gotta focus on.” He went on to cite his availability and staying “ready for those moments.”
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After the game, Kelce — who got engaged to Taylor Swift in 2025 — admitted that he was feeling “a whole lot of emotions.”
“You’ve got everybody in the world watching you,” he said during a press conference, according to the Associated Press. “You get to go out there with the young guys on prime-time television. Young guys getting an opportunity to taste what this NFL life is like.”
Kelce’s retirement timeline has been a topic of conversation this NFL season as the Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014. As rumors swirled, Travis’ brother, Jason Kelce, admitted he’s unsure of his brother’s plans. (Jason, now 38, retired from the league in 2024 after his career as a center for the Philadelphia Eagles.)
“I’m curious too,” Jason said on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown broadcast in December 2025. “In my opinion, to nail that decision, you have to step away from the game for a little bit. Play these last three games, enjoy them with your teammates, enjoy them with your coaches. The team’s going to be different no matter whether you come back or not next year.”
