KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A rejuvenated Travis Kelce is in the final year of his contract, and while he doesn’t plan to consider his football future until after the season, the 36-year-old has set a deadline for his decision.
“The season kind of restarts in April, and I want to give the Chiefs a good opportunity,” Kelce said, “whether I come back or not, and vice versa, like whether they want me back or not, it’s one of those things where I’d like to make that decision before they got to get draft picks and free agency opens.”
The NFL’s new league year opens on March 11, but the two-day negotiation window for potential free agents opens on March 9. That would be the latest time for Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach to know whether his future Hall of Fame tight end would be returning for a 14th NFL season.
Kelce’s brother, Jason, announced his retirement from the Philadelphia Eagles on March 4, 2024, nine days before the beginning of the new league year.
“That gives them an opportunity to go out there and fill the roster appropriately,” All that will be at the end of the season. I won’t be thinking about it until then,” he said.
Kelce’s enjoying a rebound season in 2025, catching 50 passes for 631 yards and four touchdowns. He’s on pace for 1,072 yards receiving, which would be his first 1,000-yard season since 2022. Former Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez holds the record for receiving yards by a tight end in their age 36 season or later, tallying 930 yards at age 36 in 2012 with Atlanta.
A trimmed-down Kelce returned to Kansas City with the mission to recapture some of his speed and explosion, and the revamped workout regimen has paid dividends, along with help from his teammates.
“Me working out all offseason is a huge reflection of our team being a lot healthier than we were last year in the wide receiver room,” Kelce said.
Every year is different, he explained, with the performance and health of the offensive line and the wide receiver room just as important as the chemistry between him and Patrick Mahomes.
“You got to kind of attack it differently,” he said. “I think, in terms of athleticism and where I feel in terms of health right now, I feel like the offseason definitely helped me to at least get a head start on some of the wear and tear. So it’s just the body feels better, but I think that production-wise, our offense in general is having a better season than it was last year. So a lot more weapons, man.”
