Despite some reporting that made it sound like it was possible that tight end Travis Kelce would return to the NFL for his 14th season with a team not named the Kansas City Chiefs, the future Hall of Fame tight end is expected to be back with the team for the 2026 season.
Travis Kelce Chooses Chiefs Over NFL Free Agency Interest
Dianna Russini and Jesse Newell of “The Athletic” reported that there was a scenario in which Kelce would return to the NFL this upcoming season, but not with the Chiefs.
“Tight end Travis Kelce is expected to return to play for a 14th season this year, league sources say. The twist: It isn’t a sure thing that the team he plays for would be the Kansas City Chiefs. Kelce’s representatives are expected to talk to multiple teams,” Russini reported.
Either way, it appears inevitable that Kelce is returning for his 14th season and with the Chiefs, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“Travis Kelce would have commanded top dollar in the TE market. But he’d rather stay with the #Chiefs, catch passes from Patrick Mahomes, and have a shot at another Super Bowl,” Rapoport added.
Travis Kelce would have commanded top dollar in the TE market. But he’d rather stay with the #Chiefs, catch passes from Patrick Mahomes, and have a shot at another Super Bowl. https://t.co/QtWM6pbsNO
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2026
That makes sense. At this point in his career, why leave for a year or so when you can finish it off strong with the team you’ve been with your whole career and chase a ring?
In response to Rapoport’s report, the NFL is reacting strongly, including former Chiefs offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz.
“He was never leaving KC. It was funny that was reported with any seriousness yesterday,” Schwartz said, seemingly referring to Russini’s report.
Last season, Kelce caught 76 passes on 108 targets for 851 yards and five touchdowns. The 76 catches were the fewest he’s had in a season since 2015, when he caught 72 passes on 103 targets for 875 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Still, he was a major part of the offense, albeit one that ranked 17th in the PFSN NFL Offense Impact score (74.3 grade) and finished the season with a 6-11 record.
Also, appearing on the “Fantasy Football With Josh & Hayden” show over at Underdog, NFL analyst Davis Mattek made a good point: the team brought back Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator, who’s an all-time favorite coach of Kelce’s.
Travis Kelce’s still got plenty left in the tank 💪 pic.twitter.com/zc7Hn2i4OA
— Underdog NFL Draft – Josh & Hayden (@UDFootballShow) February 11, 2026
Given his age, Kelce still had a fairly productive season, and as PFSN points out, Kelce has been excellent in the PFSN NFL TE Impact metric since 2019, ranking 12th in the score and fourth in targets and receiving yards.
Travis Kelce’s grades in PFSN’s TE Impact metric since 2019 📊
Be the GM for your favorite team: https://t.co/r7cv5QlDii pic.twitter.com/qRFuxbOXuj
— PFSN (@PFSN365) March 9, 2026
This could very well be the final season for Kelce, who turns 37 in October. If so, expect the Chiefs to make some moves to push for a Super Bowl 61 title.
