Tight end Travis Kelce has been a staple of the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense for years. Since he started playing full-time in 2014, he has had a huge impact on the Chiefs. However, his play has regressed over the past two seasons. As a result, Kelce has talked about the possibility of retiring and the Chiefs have given him a deadline to make his decision.
The ‘Nightcap’ Hosts Discuss Whether Travis Kelce’s Retirement Deadline Is Normal
Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ocho” Johnson released an episode of ‘Nightcap’ on Saturday. In the episode, they discussed Kelce’s future after it was announced that the Kansas City Chiefs had given him a deadline to make his retirement decision. Shannon Sharpe asked Ocho a question.
“The Chiefs have reportedly set a deadline for Travis Kelce to make a decision regarding his NFL future. If Kelce is going to retire, the Chiefs want to know of his decision around March 14, according to a team source. Based on that deadline, the Chiefs are going to give Kelce a month to decide his future. Is this deadline normal?”
Ocho responded with his opinion, “I don’t know if it’s normal, especially that soon after the Super Bowl. But I think they wanna know what he’s going to do sooner rather than later so they can look forward to what they’re going to do next. What are the next steps we need to take? I would’ve thought they would’ve given someone, especially like Kelce, they would’ve given him a little more grace, as opposed to rushing him to make a decision.”
Shannon Sharpe did not agree with Johnson and stated his opinion.
“Ocho, I’m running a football team never lose sight of that. First of all, guess what happens in March? Free agency. I need to know, do I need to make a trade? Hey Atlanta, can I get Kyle Pitts from you? I need to make a decision based on this football team. I can’t let this thing drag out. Remember, that’s what Green Bay got tired of. Brett Favre dragging it out, dragging it out. The same thing happened with Aaron Rodgers dragging it out.”
One reason the Chiefs could be pressed to make a decision sooner rather than later is the four-time First-Team All-Pro’s contract. While he is under contract through the 2025 season, if Kelce stays on the roster past March 15, he is owed an $11.5 roster bonus.
If Kelce does not make a decision before the March 14 deadline, they will likely proceed with the assumption that he will not be back. At that stage, they could decide to cut or trade him.