Heading into Super Bowl LIX one of the major storylines was whether Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce would be back for next season. While the veteran tight end stated during Super Bowl LIX Opening Night that he would still be playing football three years from now, reporting from NFL insiders on the eve of the Super Bowl indicated that the door was open to retirement, and that the outcome of the game might play a factor in his decision.
With the Philadelphia Eagles blowing out the Chiefs, that door seemed to open a bit. Some thought the door opened even further when the podcast Kelce hosts with his brother Jason announced a short hiatus last week.
However, Kansas City is forging ahead “anticipating” that Kelce would be back next season. Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine Chiefs general manager Brett Veach believes that Kelce still has that “fire,” and that the team is excited to get him back and “get going” next season:
Brett Veach on Travis Kelce’s future: He still has that fire and we went into the offseason under the assumption he’ll be back in 2025 pic.twitter.com/Ptn2OQ1Uxi
— Chase Senior (@Chase_Senior) February 25, 2025
The 2024 season saw Kelce’s production dip, as the veteran tight end caught 97 passes for 823 yards and 3 touchdowns, numbers that were down from the 110/1,338/12 marks he posted back during the 2023 season.
Kelce is entering the last year of his current contract with Kansas City and is set to make $17.2 million this year, according to Over the Cap.
That would help anyone rediscover that fire, we think.
