Travis Kelce’s self-reflection has paved the way for a 13th season with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The 10-time Pro Bowl tight end will return to action in 2025, putting to rest speculation about his future. Kelce confirmed the news Thursday on the X account of ‘New Heights,’ the podcast he co-hosts with his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said Tuesday at the combine that he expected Kelce to be back based on their most recent conversation.
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“How we left it at the end of the season is that he was fired up. He has one more year under contract and still think he has that fire and desire to play,” Veach said of Kelce.
‘I think I owe it to my teammates that, if I do come back, it’s going to be something that it’s a whole-hearted decision … I’m fully here for them, and I think I could play,’ Kelce said on a ‘New Heights’ episode that aired Jan. 12. ‘It’s just whether or not I’m motivated or it’s the best decision for me as a man, as a human and as a person to take on all of that responsibility.’
Kelce, 35, is coming off a season in which his 823 receiving yards and three touchdowns catches represented his lowest output since his rookie campaign, with defenses regularly blanketing him and forcing Patrick Mahomes to look to other options in a largely unproven receiving corps.
In a November story by the Wall Street Journal, Kelce acknowledged that injuries had taken a significant toll on him throughout his career and prompted his contemplation of retirement. After the Super Bowl, Kelce, who has started 21 playoff games since Mahomes first took over behind center in 2018, said this season had been particularly challenging from a physical standpoint.
‘The fact that we keep going to these AFC championships and these Super Bowls, that means I’m playing an extra three games more than everybody else in the entire league,’ Kelce said on ‘New Heights.’ ‘That’s a lot of wear and tear on your body, and it’s a lot of time spent in the building, focusing on your craft, focusing on the task at hand and every challenge that you set up for yourself.
‘That process can be grueling. It can weigh on you. It can make you better. It can drive you crazy at the same time. And right now, it’s one of those things where it was driving me crazy this year. It happens as you kind of tail off towards the back nine of your career, as SVP (ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt) would say.’
Prior to the Super Bowl, Kelce acknowledged that he had been ‘setting myself up for other opportunities in my life.’ After being thrust into a heightened level of fame amid his relationship with pop superstar Taylor Swift, he has pursued several entertainment projects – including a role in the FX series ‘Grotesquerie’ – while ‘New Heights’ has remained popular.
Kelce’s return provides a significant dose of stability for a Chiefs team looking to bounce back after it was denied a historic Super Bowl three-peat. Despite the attention he received from defenses, Kelce has 35 more targets than the next closest player, receiver Xavier Worthy. Outside of the rookie wideout, no other player had even half of Kelce’s 97 receptions. Go-to target Rashee Rice was lost for the season to a lateral collateral ligament injury in October, and his recovery and potential discipline for his role in a six-vehicle crash last year could leave his return on uncertain ground.
Kelce has one year remaining on his contract and is due a $11.5 million roster bonus on March 15, five days after NFL free agency first opens with the opening of the negotiation window.