Travis Kelce ended the suspense over his future with the Kansas City Chiefs when Pat McAfee went public with the pair’s interaction Thursday. McAfee, in his own unique and entertaining fashion, broke the news that Kelce will return to the Chiefs for his 13th season. McAfee read aloud a message from what the audience is led to believe is the 35-year-old tight end saying that he is coming back after taking a couple of weeks to mull over his future.
Live from the NFL Scouting Combine, McAfee referenced his source(s) as saying that he was “coming back for sure.“ Kelce will be coming off his least productive season since his rookie campaign. Kelce had 97 receptions for 823 yards in the 2024 regular season.
He followed it up with 13 receptions for 175 yards in the postseason and a disappointing four catches for 39 yards in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss against the Eagles earlier this month. Kelce’s return has massive financial implications for Kansas City. He will make $17.1 million in 2025 and carry a $19.8 million cap hit.
Travis Kelce Coming Back For 2025
Kelce is coming back to play for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025. The star tight end made his decision after speculation that he might retire from the NFL after the Kansas City Chiefs lost Super Bowl LIX to the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this month. The news was broken by McAfee live on his “progrum” when the media personality read aloud a text exchange between himself and source(s).
“I’m coming back for sure. Gonna try to get into the best shape I’ve been this offseason and get back to the mountaintop. Got a real bad taste in my mouth with how I played in that last game and with how I got the guys ready for battle. I can’t go out like that!!!!”
Kelce was referencing the Super Bowl where he caught just four passes for a total of 39 yards in the Chiefs 40-22 loss. McAfee was coy with his delivery of the news in his trademark style, even though it was almost assuredly a confirmation from the 35-year-old tight end. The news was confirmed by the official X account of the New Heights podcast, the podcast featuring Travis and his brother Jason Kelce.
Retirement Was a Legitimate Possibility
The news of Kelce’s return came as more of a close call than Kansas City Chiefs fans would like to admit. Despite being a four-time 1st-Team All-Pro and 10-time Pro Bowl selection, Kelce had his least productive season since his rookie campaign in 2013. Combined with the heartbreaking loss in New Orleans that kept the Kansas City Chiefs from making NFL history as the only team in the Super Bowl era to win three championships in a row, Kelce was seriously considering stepping away from the game.
On an episode of his aforementioned New Heights podcast, Kelce said, “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. I’m kicking every can I can down the road and I’m not making any crazy decisions. Right now, the biggest thing is just being there for my teammates and being there for my coaches. There’s a lot that goes into this thing. 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.”
He continued, “The fact that we keep going to these AFC Championships and these Super Bowls means I’m playing an extra three games more than everybody else in the entire league and that’s a lot of wear and tear on your body. It’s a lot of time spent in the building, focusing on your craft, focusing on the task at hand, every challenge that you set up for yourself. That process can be grueling, it can weigh on you, it can make you better and it could drive you crazy at the same time. Right now, it’s one of those things where it was kind of driving me crazy this year.”
Kansas City’s Financial Ramifications
With the news of his return, the offseason picture for the Kansas City Chiefs becomes much clearer. Kelce is due to make $17.125 million in 2025, the final year of his contract. His salary will count $19.8 million against the cap. This leaves the Kansas City Chiefs with approximately $5.8 million in cap space, good for 24th in the NFL. This could explain why the team announced they plan on using the franchise tag on Offensive Lineman Trey Smith. Smith, who is in line to sign a massive contract this offseason, will now be on the Kansas City books for over $23 million.
There are tactics that the team can use to free up more money, including taking advantage of some of the details about guaranteed money and cash bonus options in Kelce’s contract as well as Patrick Mahomes‘ contract. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback isn’t worried about the financial ramifications of Kelce coming back. After the news of Kelce’s return broke, Mahomes posted a video clip from the documentary on the 1998 Bulls, “The Last Dance,” indicating his joy that his favorite target is returning.
Final Thoughts
It’s good that Kelce is coming back for the Kansas City Chiefs and that this news can be passed over ahead of a crucial offseason for the team. After failing to achieve immortality with the first three-peat in the Super Bowl era, Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs will have a fire lit under them for the 2025 season. With Kelce’s decision now known, the Chiefs can start to tackle some of their other offseason concerns.
The Kansas City Chiefs announced they will be using the franchise tag for the second consecutive season, and for the second consecutive season that player may not end up on the roster by the time the season starts. Smith was notified that he would be tagged rather than go into free agency. Last season the Kansas City Chiefs used the tag on L’Jarius Sneed and then traded him to the Tennessee Titans. Smith could see a similar fate given Kansas City’s financial situation. They are 24th in the league in cap space and after the Kelce news, sit at $5.8 million in available money heading into the offseason, although there are loopholes to create more flexibility.
On another note, this is just the latest in a developing trend where athletes take it upon themselves to announce news and control the dissemination of their stories. McAfee was permitted to read Kelce’s texts live on the air on one of sports media’s biggest platforms. As media and information continue to proliferate, one of the more intriguing developments has been how athletes use it to their advantage and wield more control over their media coverage. As one of the most covered people in the world, Kelce chose to do that with this news.
