Perhaps no NFL player will be more talked about this offseason than Chiefs star Travis Kelce, who just wrapped up his 13th season in the league and plans to weigh his retirement decision in the coming weeks.
Kelce capped off his 2025 campaign with just three catches for 12 yards in Sunday's loss to the Raiders but managed to make some cool history in the process, becoming the fastest tight end ever to record 13,000 career receiving yards. His personal achievement aside, Kelce, who has made a bit of an undesirable reputation for himself for shirking his media duties in previous weeks, did speak with reporters on Sunday afternoon to briefly discuss his NFL future.
The 36-year-old was asked whether he'll take some time to "get away from the emotions" of this past season before making his retirement decision for next year.
"Who knows?" Kelce told reporters. "Either it hits me quick, or I gotta take some time. Last year it was little bit easier, I think I knew right away I wanted to kind of give this one a shot. So I don't know, we'll see."
Kelce went on to give his blunt assessment of how the Chiefs' ill-fated season played out:
"First things first I just love this team. Guys like Chris Jones over here pointing at me from across the room, I love that guy," said Kelce. "I'm just proud of the way we finished even though it ended the way it did. Guys still showed up, gave it their all, and that's all you can ask for, man. I got so much love for this team, this organization and the people here. I'll spend some time with them, go through exit meetings tomorrow, get close to the family and figure things out."
Travis Kelce on his timeline for his decision on next year: pic.twitter.com/7mVJtAXF4c
— Sam McDowell (@SamMcDowell11) January 5, 2026
Kelce has so far said very little about his playing intentions for 2026 but did previously say he plans to lean on his older brother, Jason, for support as well as other members of his family. Off the gridiron, the Chiefs star has stayed plenty busy with his uber-popular podcast, New Heights, among other media gigs, and is reportedly set to marry his fiancé Taylor Swift next summer.
Kelce may not have gotten the fairytale ending he would've wanted a year after the Chiefs' humbling Super Bowl blowout loss to the Eagles, but he'll likely take several factors into consideration when it comes to his NFL future.
"Obviously we didn't do as well as a team, but I feel like I came into the season prepared and ready to rock and roll with the right intentions," continued Kelce. "The ball just didn't go our way in a lot of those close games unfortunately. I think if I do choose to come back that's something I really gotta focus on and making sure I'm available and ready for those moments."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Travis Kelce Had Two-Word Response on When He’ll Make His NFL Retirement Decision.
