Clark Hunt is just like every NFL fan, waiting to see what Travis Kelce will decide about his possible retirement — but the Kansas City Chiefs owner does have his own dream scenario for the tight end.
“Well as an organization, we certainly hope that he will come back,” Hunt, 60, said during an appearance on the Tuesday, January 27, episode of NFL Network’s Good Morning Football.
Hunt noted that Kelce, 36, had “another great year” with the organization even if it wasn’t “maybe on par with where he was four or five years ago.”
The Chiefs CEO pointed out that Kelce still had over 800 yards for the 2025-2026 season and was “really one of the leaders on the offensive side of the ball for us.”
Travis Kelce Hints at Retirement Timeline After Final Chiefs Game of Season
Hunt revealed, “So there’s no doubt in my mind that he can still play.”
Despite being confident in Kelce’s abilities ahead of the next season, Hunt said the organization doesn’t want to push him one way or the other.
“We’re trying to be respectful and let him have the time that he needs to make a decision,” Hunt explained, adding that Kelce “has sort of a busy offseason coming up with his engagement and marriage [to Taylor Swift], so we want to be respectful and give him the time he needs to make a decision. But we certainly hope that he’ll be back.”
Clark is the son of Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt and his second wife Norma Hunt. After Lamar died in 2006, Clark became a co-owner of the NFL team alongside his mother and siblings.
As the CEO and chairman of the team, Clark is one of the most public members of leadership — and has been part of the Chiefs’ most recent rise to greatness. While in his current position, the Chiefs have made the playoffs 12 times, won the AFC West 11 times and appeared in five Super Bowls, winning three.
Kelce, for his part, has been on the team for all three Super Bowl championships. He was drafted to the Chiefs in 2013 as the 63rd overall pick and has only played for the one organization his entire NFL career.
While Kelce has three Super Bowl rings to his name, he and the Chiefs didn’t make the playoffs this season, which some fans think will play a part in whether or not he retires during the offseason.
The Kansas City Chiefs Organization’s Best Quotes About Taylor Swift
Kelce, meanwhile, has played coy about what he plans to do as he and fiancée Swift, 36, plan their upcoming nuptials. (Kelce proposed in August 2025 after two years of dating the Grammy winner.)
“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,” Kelce told reporters on January 4 after the Chiefs’ final game of the season.
A few days later, on the January 7 episode of his and brother Jason Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast, Travis said, “I think if my body can heal up and rest up and I can feel confident that I can go out there and give it another 18, 20, 21-week run, I think I would do it in a heartbeat.”
Travis Kelce Addresses Rumors He’s Planning to Retire From His NFL Career
The professional athlete explained, “I think right now it’s just finding that answer and seeing how the body feels after this game and when it all settles down.”
While NFL fans and all of the Chiefs Kingdom wait with bated breath for Travis’ official announcement, Us Weekly reported that he is currently in talks with Netflix to “serve as their exclusive broadcast sports correspondent.”
A source exclusively told Us on January 8 that the terms of a potential deal are “still being finalized, but discussions are well underway.”
A separate insider exclusively revealed that Travis “has had talks with his team about retiring and not playing football next season.”
