Chiefs Have Given Travis Kelce a Deadline to Make Retirement Decision

Travis Kelce is officially on the clock when it comes to deciding about his NFL future. 

Kelce, 35, has until March 14 to inform the Kansas City Chiefs if he intends to retire or play next season with the team, according to The Athletic. 

The superstar tight end contract runs through next season and includes an $11.5 million bonus due on March 15, hence the deadline.

Kelce’s future in the NFL has been a hot topic in recent weeks, accelerated by the Chiefs’ 40-22 dismantling in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, February 9 by the Philadelphia Eagles. 

The future Hall of Famer addressed the speculation on the Wednesday, February 12 episode of his “New Heights” podcast, the first since the Super Bowl loss. 

“I know everybody wants to know whether or not I’m playing next year and right now I’m just kicking everything down the road,” Kelce said. “I’m not making any crazy decisions but right now the biggest thing is just being there for my teammates and being there for my coaches, understanding that a lot that goes into this thing.”

He continued, “You know, I’ve been fortunate over the past five, six years — I’ve played more football than anybody. And it’s because the people that are in that building and the fact that we keep going to these AFC Championships and these Super Bowls, that means I’m playing an extra three games more than everybody else in the entire league. That’s a lot of wear and tear on your body and it’s a lot of time spent in the building focusing on your craft, focusing on the task at hand … and that process can be grueling. It can weigh on you.”

Prior to the Super Bowl, Kelce hinted there was a good chance he’d return to the team in 2025 — much at the urging of his girlfriend, Taylor Swift. 

“She’s fully encouraging me to enjoy playing this game,” Kelce told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith in January 2025. “She loves coming to Arrowhead [Stadium] and coming to the games and cheering for me, so I got all the support in the world to keep chasing these dreams.”

Whatever Kelce decides to do, his teammate Charles Omenihu is begging him to come back for one more Super Bowl run. 

“This would be my message to Trav: ‘Big dawg, like, we, the whole organization, can’t go out like that,’” Omenihu. 27, said Thursday, February 13 on Fox Sports’ The Facility.

The Chiefs defensive end added, “He’s a Hall of Famer from the moment he says, ‘I’m done,’ right?’ But I think Trav has a lot left, I think Trav is an extreme competitor, I think he’s somebody that loves the game. I think in the storied career that he’s had, going out like that, in my opinion, wouldn’t be something that he would do.”