Chiefs’ Travis Kelce lays out conditions for return in 2026 season

After 13 seasons in the NFL, it’d be understandable if Travis Kelce announced his retirement, but the iconic Kansas City Chiefs tight end laid out some of the things that could get him to return for the 2026 season.

During the latest episode of the New Heights podcast, Kelce discussed what it’d take for him to come back for a 14th season in the NFL. He acknowledged that he still has “a lot of love for the game,” which may never leave him, but he will still take his time to make his decision.

Travis talking about possibly coming back for another season:

“If my body can heal up, rest up and I can feel confident that I can go out there and give it another 18-20/21 week run, I think I would do it in a heartbeat” pic.twitter.com/0ZY8uDIcfa

— kaia (@kaiamal13) January 7, 2026

“It’s a tough thing to navigate, but at the same time, I think if my body can heal up and rest up and I can feel confident that I can go out there and give it another 18, 20, 21-week run, I think I would do it in a heartbeat,” Kelce explained. I think right now, it’s just finding that answer and seeing how the body feels after this game and kind of when it all settles down.”

Did Travis Kelce retire from the Chiefs?

No, Kelce did not retire from the Chiefs; at least not yet. He is still making his decision, as explained on New Heights, and fans will likely know if they should expect him for the 2026 season sooner rather than later.

He contemplated hanging it up after the Chiefs’ Super Bowl 59 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. However, he opted to return for at least one more season in 2025.

The Chiefs were disappointing in 2025, finishing 6-11. This was the team’s worst record with Patrick Mahomes by a wide margin, as they missed the playoffs for the first time since the quarterback took over as the starter in 2018.

Kelce improved upon his disappointing 2024 campaign. He had 28 more yards than in 2024, and he scored two more touchdowns. This happened on 21 fewer catches than he had in 2024.

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