Travis Kelce is set to return to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 13th season despite flirting with retirement earlier in the offseason. While the seven-time All-Pro tight end is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, he continued to play at a high level in 2024, recording 97 receptions for 823 yards and three touchdowns.
The three-time Super Bowl champion has spent his entire career with the Chiefs after the franchise selected him in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He recently revealed that he has no plans to put on another jersey.
Travis Kelce Shares Thoughts on Playing for a Team Other Than the Chiefs
Kelce has been a pivotal part of the Chiefs’ recent success, which has resulted in three Super Bowl titles in five appearances in the Big Game. He recently spoke with the media and revealed that he couldn’t see himself playing for another team.
Marleah Campbell of KCTV5 shared the comments from the ten-time Pro Bowler, where he stated:
“I mean, I got one year on this contract. I know that. And we’ll try and figure out something for next year. The Chiefs organization knows how much I love them. I can’t see myself ever playing anywhere else. So, we’ll deal with that down the road when the time is right, but right now I’m focused on winning a championship this year.”
Kelce: “I can’t see myself ever playing anywhere else.” #ChiefsKingdom @KCTV5 pic.twitter.com/8JdICownO2
— Marleah Campbell (@MarleahKCTV5) June 18, 2025
While Kelce publicly shared that he considered retirement earlier in the offseason, he noted that his decision to return was not difficult. He had previously revealed that he would have given more thought to ending his career if the Chiefs were able to three-peat as Super Bowl champions; however, he did not want to retire coming off a Super Bowl loss.
Kansas City’s star tight end took accountability for his lackluster performance in Super Bowl LIX as he recorded just four receptions for 39 yards. He claimed that the only acceptable outcome for this season is hoisting the Lombardi Trophy for the fourth time in his career.
Kelce will have a cap hit of $19.8 million in 2025. While his deal will be up at the end of the season, giving him the option of testing free agency, he has made it clear that he plans to remain with the only franchise he has ever known, putting the ball in Kansas City’s court regarding his future.