Travis Kelce ‘motivated to return’ for another NFL season with Chiefs in mix to get deal done

Travis Kelce appears like he’s going to give it one more go in the NFL.

The star tight end “appears motivated” to play a 14th season in the league, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported on Sunday afternoon, though it sounds like the door is open for that to be played somewhere other than Kansas City.

“Based on conversations with several teams, TE Travis Kelce appears motivated to return to play a 14th season,” Russsini wrote on social media. “The Chiefs remain very much in the mix to re-sign the three-time Super Bowl champion and four-time All-Pro.”

The wording of the report suggests that other NFL teams could be in the mix should he decide to keep playing.

Kelce’s contract with the Chiefs expired after last season and he is an unrestricted free agent in 2026.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce walking off the field after the Chiefs beat the Giants. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

The idea that Kelce, 36, could suit up for another team wasn’t likely on many people’s radar as he weighed whether or not he would play another year in the NFL.

He has played all 13 years in the league with the Chiefs and helped lead the franchise to three Super Bowl titles during his tenure there.

During an episode of the “New Heights” podcast in January, Kelce said that the Chiefs had been aware of “where I stand” on possible retirement.

“I’ve talked to a few people in the facility already, you know, having the exit meetings and they know where I stand at least right now,” Kelce said during the Jan 7 episode that featured guest Matt Damon. “There’s a lot of love for the game that’s still there and I don’t think I’ll ever lose that. I don’t know. 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 content that I can go out there and give it another run, I think I would do it in a heartbeat. So I think right now it’s just finding that answer … when it all settles down.”

Tight end Travis Kelce running the ball while cornerback Cordale Flott attempts to tackle him. Bill Kostroun/New York Post

Kelce is coming off a year in which he had 76 catches for 851 yards and five touchdowns while the Chiefs missed the playoffs for just the second time in the tight end’s 13 years in the league.

Kelce has become one of the biggest names in the NFL during his career, boosted by a standout effort on the field and the superstar status of his fiancée, global icon Taylor Swift.

[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]