The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t look like themselves last season, failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014. After advancing to the Super Bowl in three consecutive years, the Chiefs’ 2025 campaign was a disaster.
Not only did the Chiefs play poorly and fail to qualify for the postseason, but they also lost quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a torn ACL at the end of the year.
Mahomes is hoping to return in time for Week 1, and the Chiefs are looking for vengeance in 2026. While many thought Travis Kelce would retire after the 2025 season, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach revealed the reason the legendary tight end returned.
Brett Veach Reveals Why Travis Kelce Opted to Return to Chiefs for 2026 NFL Season
Kelce is set to begin his 14th NFL season, all with the Chiefs. He is coming off his 11th straight Pro Bowl selection and will once again be a key target in the Chiefs’ passing attack.
Kelce, who will be 37 years old in October, is not the player he once was, but he is still a reliable pass-catcher and someone Mahomes trusts implicitly. Last season, Kelce was the 12th-best tight end in the NFL according to PFSN’s TE Impact metric, posting an 80.6 TEi grade.
Kelce signed a three-year contract extension with the Chiefs this offseason, but it is essentially a one-year deal with multiple years for cap gymnastics.
Veach recently joined SiriusXM Radio to discuss when he knew Kelce would be returning for another season.
“He basically said, I’m not going out like this,” the Chiefs GM revealed, adding that in October or November, he had some concern about Kelce potentially retiring. However, immediately after the Chiefs’ last game, Kelce made it clear he’d be back.
“Twenty-four hours after the last game, I knew 100% he would be back… Those questions were alleviated almost immediately,” Veach said. “Even though the media kind of went through will he return or won’t he return, I think internally, we knew he was coming back right away. He’s such a competitor. Him and Pat have almost like a brother-like relationship, not just a teammate relationship, and I think there’s an element of Travis wanting to see Pat through this rehab process.
“We knew early on that he was coming back, which was very helpful and beneficial for us because we attacked our free-agency plan and had already put away and allocated [money] for Travis. It helped free us up and be more decisive and carry through with our plan.”
.@Chiefs GM Brett Veach on when he knew that TE Travis Kelce would be returning for his 14th season in Kansas City.
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— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) May 6, 2026
The Chiefs are looking to go on a revenge tour in 2026. After a down year, they retooled their roster, traded away Trent McDuffie, signed RB Kenneth Walker III, and added a number of potential impact rookies like CB Mansoor Delane, DT Peter Woods, EDGE R Mason Thomas, S Jadon Candy, RB Emmett Johnson.
Ultimately, the Chiefs’ success will largely depend on Mahomes’ health. He seems to be ahead of schedule in his ACL recovery, and there is even a chance he can play Week 1.
Everything about the Chiefs’ offense looked stale last season, which is why they brought back Eric Bieniemy as their offensive coordinator. He was with the Chiefs when they won two of their three Super Bowls, and Mahomes had his best passing season under Bieniemy.
The Chiefs need more explosive plays, and the hope is that Bieniemy’s return (plus the addition of Walker) can get the offense back on track.
