Travis Kelce’s future has become the most hotly-debated subject of the early NFL offseason.
After Kelce, 35, and the Kansas City Chiefs were defeated 40-22 by the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, all eyes turned to the superstar tight end, who has not announced whether or not he will return to the gridiron next year.
Kelce — whose contract runs through next season and includes an $11.5 million bonus due on March 15 — has until March 14 to inform the Chiefs of his decision, according to The Athletic.
“I know everybody wants to know whether or not I’m playing next year and right now I’m just kicking everything down the road,” Kelce said on the February 12 episode of his “New Heights” podcast. “I’m not making any crazy decisions, but right now the biggest thing is just being there for my teammates and being there for my coaches, understanding that a lot that goes into this thing.”
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Kelce continued, “You know, I’ve been fortunate over the past five, six years — I’ve played more football than anybody. And it’s because [of] the people that are in that building and the fact that we keep going to these AFC Championships and these Super Bowls, that means I’m playing an extra three games more than everybody else in the entire league. That’s a lot of wear and tear on your body and it’s a lot of time spent in the building focusing on your craft, focusing on the task at hand … and that process can be grueling. It can weigh on you.”
Keep scrolling to see what the rest of the NFL world has said about Kelce’s potential retirement:
Peyton Manning
Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, who retired from the NFL after 18 seasons in March 2016, offered up some advice to Kelce in the case he does decide to hang up his cleats.
“I hope he takes some time and he doesn’t make a rushed decision,” Manning, 48, told E! News at the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special on Sunday, February 16.
Manning added, “So, the last thing you want to do is say, ‘OK, I’m going to make a decision now.’ Take some time. Take a full month. Let some things digest and calm down. He can make a better decision then.”
Colin Cowherd
Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd argued it’s time for Kelce and the Chiefs to part ways.
“This is the perfect time for a clean break. He’s got tons of money, lots of options,” Cowherd, 61, said February 13 on his FS1 show, The Herd. “I think one of the mistakes basketball [and] football teams do is they cling to the end. It’s time for a clean break. He’s expensive, he’s a tight end, this is a good tight end draft, if they were gonna move up and be aggressive outside of left tackle, it’d be for [a] tight end.”
Cowherd added, “He blocks, he’s tough, the physicality, the temperament, but it may be time to quit. You start looking at Travis Kelce over the last seven years; he’s played another season of NFL football for playoff games, and we ask our tight ends to block often the best athlete on the other side of the field.”
Craig Carton
Sports radio personality Craig Carton, who cohosts FS1’s Breakfast Ball, pushed back when his cohost, NFL legend Mark Schlereth, suggested Kelce become a “situational player” for the Chiefs.
“I don’t think you can ask him to be a role player, third-down only type of guy,” Carson said February 17 on Breakfast Ball. “Isn’t he better off just retiring at that point? I’m saying ego-wise.”
Jason Kelce
Kelce’s older brother, Jason Kelce, promoted patience when it came to Travis figuring out his future.
On a February episode of “New Heights,” Jason, 37, who retired from the NFL after 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles in March 2024, told Travis to “take your time” and “get away” from the noise before making a decision.
Patrick Mahomes
Travis’ good friend and quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, discussed Travis’ uncertain path ahead immediately after losing in the Super Bowl.
“I’ll let Travis make that decision on his own,” Mahomes told reporters. “He’s given so much to this team and to the NFL and been such a joy not only for me to work with but [for] people to watch. But it’s if he wants to put in that grind. It’s a grind to go out there and play 20 games, whatever it is, and get to the Super Bowl.”
Mahomes, 29, added, “I know he still has love for the game. He’ll get to spend some time with his family and make that decision on his own, but he knows he’ll come back here with open arms.”
Charles Omenihu
Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu gave a passionate pitch for Travis to return to the team next season.
“This would be my message to Trav: ‘Big dawg, like, we, the whole organization, can’t go out like that,’” Omenihu, 27, said February 13 on Fox Sports’ The Facility.
The Chiefs defensive end added, “He’s a Hall of Famer from the moment he says, ‘I’m done,’ right?’ But I think Trav has a lot left, I think Trav is an extreme competitor, I think he’s somebody that loves the game. I think in the storied career that he’s had, going out like that, in my opinion, wouldn’t be something that he would do.”
Stephen A. Smith
In discussing whether or not Travis should retire, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith answered, “I’m gonna say no.”
“I know Travis Kelce a little bit and it’s a real hard time for him right now,” Smith, 57, said February 13 on First Take. “The Super Bowl performance is something that shouldn’t really hinder him. I guess the reason why I would lean towards him not retiring is when I think you’re a three-time champion, you’re as elite as he is, you don’t want to go out like that, the way they went out in this particular Super Bowl.”
Dianna Russini
Dianna Russini, senior NFL insider for The Athletic, hinted that Travis is trending toward a return to the Chiefs.
“I can just tell you from having a few conversations with people around the league over the last few days there’s definitely a sense that Travis is going to try to play more,” Russini said Wednesday, February 19, on The Rich Eisen Show. “I haven’t heard anyone say, ‘Yeah, he’s really struggling with what he wants to do.’”
She added, “This is going to be his decision, his decision only. But for this Chiefs’ operation looking to move forward here, I think they feel pretty good that Travis has got a little bit more left in him.”
