Is Travis Kelce retiring? Here's what Chiefs HC Andy Reid said
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Is Travis Kelce going to retire this year?
That may be the biggest question of the offseason for the Kansas City Chiefs, outside of whether quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 season.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to reporters on Feb. 20 and provided an update on Kelce's 2026 outlook. It's still early – the new league year does not start until March – but Reid's comments seemed to suggest the star tight end is leaning toward returning in 2026.
"There is communication," Reid said, "and that’s the main thing. As long as there is communication, I’m good. That means people want to move forward."
The Chiefs' head coach started to say that he believed Kelce's desire was to move forward but stopped himself, saying he didn't want to put words in the tight end's mouth.
"We're proceeding with that and there is communication going on," Reid concluded.
What Travis Kelce has said about retirement
After the Chiefs' 2025 season ended – with Kansas City missing the playoffs for the first time 2014 – Kelce addressed his future on his "New Heights" podcast.
"Just being a regular human for a couple weeks, maybe a month or so, and try to figure out what I'm going to do next in terms of my future in football," Kelce said. "I've talked to a few people in the facility already, having the exit meetings and everything. They know where I stand, at least right now.
"It's a tough thing to navigate, but at the same time, if my body can rest up and heal 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 said. "I think right now, it's just finding that answer and seeing how the body feels after this game and when it all settles down."
Kelce turned 36 years old during the season – his 13th in the NFL – making him the second-oldest active player at his position behind 41-year-old Marcedes Lewis.
Travis Kelce's contract status with Chiefs
Provided Kelce doesn't sign any extension before the new league year begins on March 11, he'll hit free agency for the first time. The two-year contract restructure he agreed to before the 2024 season is up when the 2025 league year ends. Kelce has said he will make his retirement decision before that happens.
If Kelce does hang up his cleats, he does so after a career that will go down as one of the league's best at the tight end position. His 12 receiving yards in Week 18 pushed him over 13,000 receiving yards for his career – the third tight end to ever cross that mark – and his three catches vaulted him over Terrell Owens for the eighth-most receptions in NFL history with 1,080.
The tight end led the 2025 Chiefs in targets (108), receptions (76), receiving yards (851), receiving touchdowns (5) and receiving first downs (45). Kelce earned his 11th consecutive Pro Bowl nod in 2025.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chiefs' Andy Reid provides new Travis Kelce update
