Two weeks ago on his “New Heights” podcast, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce offered some initial comments regarding his playing status for 2025.
In the week leading up to Super Bowl LIX, Kelce had maintained that he felt he had some good football years left — but following the lopsided loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, his stance seemed to shift.
“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 told his brother. “I’m kicking every can I can down the road, and 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 there’s a lot that goes into this thing.”
Since Kelce shared those words, fans, local reporters and national analysts have speculated about whether he would walk away forever.
After 12 seasons in the league, three championships and countless records, nobody would blame the tight end for calling it a career. However, head coach Andy Reid’s Tuesday remarks at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis suggested otherwise.
“That’s up to Travis,” said Reid. “[I told him], ‘Get out of town and relax.’ That’s kind of my motto for these guys. They played a lot of games for a consistent amount of seasons here. And so you get to the end of the thing, you’ve exhausted yourself mentally and physically, step back and take care of that. Then we’ll talk.
“For right now, I think that’s what he’s doing, and he and I’ll get together now. Listen, I had exit meetings with all the guys before they left, so we did have a chance to talk.”
Kelce’s final season comes with an $11.5 million roster bonus due on March 15 as part of a $19.8 million salary cap in 2025, leading to outside speculation that general manager Brett Veach had implemented a hard deadline for Kelce to make a decision.
On Tuesday, Veach dismissed those reports, insisting that the club is already budgeting as though Kelce will play one final season.
“We’re just operating as if he’s here,” Veach told local Kansas City writers after his podium session. “If something changes, would it put us in a position where we could have maybe done something else? Yes, but that money will still get rolled over next year, so I mean you’d have it. I think he had a good conversation with coaches a year, and his intention was to finish out this contract. So we’re focused on our offseason plan, and he’s here.”
Should Kelce announce his return, the GM hopes for a more fitting conclusion for the future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
“We’re excited to have him back — and hopefully go out a champion,” said Veach.
