Chiefs TE Travis Kelce: Will Return ‘If My Body Can Heal Up’

There’s been speculation about the longevity of Chiefs TE Travis Kelce‘s career after just finishing up Year 13. When appearing on his New Heights podcast, Kelce said that returning for 2026 will depend on whether his “body can heal up” to a level he’s comfortable with.

“If my body can heal up and rest up, and I can feel confident that I can go out there and give it another 18, 20, 21-week run,” Kelce said. “I think I would do it in a heartbeat. I think right now it’s just finding that answer and seeing how the body feels after (the Week 18) game.”

Kelce added that he still has a lot of passion for the game. 

“There’s a lot of love for the game still there,” Kelce said. “I don’t think I’ll ever lose that.”

Kelce was also asked about his future following Week 18’s loss to the Raiders, saying that he felt this year was more difficult on his body than in 2024. 

“I mean, who knows? Who knows? Either it hits me quick, or I’ve got to take some time,” Kelce said. “I think last year was a little bit easier. I think I knew right away I wanted to give this one a shot. So we’ll see.”

While Kelce has played coy in recent weeks about his exact plans, saying only that he’ll take some time after the season to mull things over, some outcomes can be winnowed down. Ian Rapoport recetly said his understanding is that if Kelce plays in 2026, it won’t be for anyone besides the Chiefs. 

Kelce is in the final year of his contract with Kansas City, so the two sides would need to work out some sort of arrangement if he wanted to come back for a 14th season.

Despite the Chiefs’ struggles, Kelce has remained fairly productive, especially considering his age, and was voted to the Pro Bowl. He considered retiring last offseason as well (briefly, he said) and also left the door open to playing in 2026. 

Whenever Kelce decides to end his playing career, he has a ton waiting for him off the field, including a budding media career and pending nuptials to pop superstar Taylor Swift. 

Kelce, 36, is a former third-round pick of the Chiefs out of Cincinnati back in 2013. He was entering the final year of his four-year, $3.126 million rookie contract and set to make a base salary of $675,000 for the 2016 season when he signed a six-year, $46.8 million contract extension. 

He signed another four-year, $57.25 million extension in 2020. Kelce was due base salaries of $12 million and $16.25 million over the final two seasons of that deal. 

In 2025, Kelce appeared in all 17 games for the Chiefs and recorded 76 receptions on 108 targets for 851 yards and five touchdowns.

We’ll have more on Kelce as the news is available.