With Super Bowl 59 over, the future of some key players is at the forefront of NFL media. Arguably, the most anticipated decision of said players is Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce.
Kelce has one year remaining on his $34.25 million contract and will become a free agent in 2026. The Chiefs will likely be without Marquise Brown, Juju Smith-Schuster, and DeAndre Hopkins next season, leaving Rashee Rice as the only other steadfast pass catcher in the club.
Is Travis Kelce Calling It Quits?
NFL insider James Palmer joined Kay Adams’s “Up & Adams” to discuss what he has heard from inside the Chiefs organization.
"My gut tells me this is IT."@JamesPalmerTV heard from inside the #Chiefs organization about Travis Kelce's future 😳@heykayadams @Chiefs | #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/dJigP5IXvs
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) February 12, 2025
After contacting multiple members of the Chiefs, Palmer received information that points toward the end of No. 87’s career. Kelce has proven to be one of the NFL’s toughest competitors and prides himself on that motive. Palmer believes such a narrative may play into Kelce’s decision-making.
“He mentioned that one part where he is like, I don’t want to half-ass it at all,” said Palmer. “He practices as hard as anybody, and he feels like if he doesn’t practice hard and practice that way, he’s not giving everything to the team and everything to himself.”
Kelce’s Impact in Kansas City
While the rumor mill begins to spin, there is no question that if Kelce wanted to continue, he could. The future hall-of-fame tight end may not have played as well as he did in the past, but he remained a difference-maker. The drop-off in production could be noticed. According to PFSN’s Offense+ metric, the Chiefs earned a 78.9 (C+) grade.
Patrick Mahomes’ favorite target got off to a slower start in 2024-25 but inevitably turned things around as the season went on. Kelce went for three touchdowns and 823 yards on 97 receptions during the regular season. His 823 yards marked a career-low and the first time he has missed out on 900 receiving yards since 2015.
Palmer also mentioned that some within the organization recognize Kelce’s lost step but are not completely shunning the franchise guy.
Kelce was the second oldest tight end in the NFL this season at 35 years old, behind just Mercedes Lewis (40). Once again, age may have stunted his production, but it did not come close to a halt.
How Kelce’s Decision Affects the Chiefs
The retirement of this legend poses the question, who replaces Travis? If Kelce were to hang them up, the 25-year-old Noah Gray would become heir to the throne. Gray has proven to be a capable piece of the puzzle and has established strong chemistry with Mahomes over his first four NFL seasons. Whether or not Gray has the capability to perform at the level Kelce still remains in question.
