It has now been over a month since Travis Kelce played his last game for the Kansas City Chiefs. For the first time since 2014, Kelce did not see any action in the NFL playoffs. This is after the Chiefs ended the campaign with an 6-11 record, missing out on the postseason for the first time in over a decade.
At this point, there is still no guarantee that Kelce will return next season. His contract with the Chiefs has expired and the 35-year-old is currently seriously contemplating retirement.
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According to former Miami Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum, however, it’s the Chiefs who should make a move even before Kelce makes his retirement decision.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) looks dejected after a game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Chiefs have already indicated that they would love Kelce to return in 2026. However, Tannenbaum is adamant that it’s time to move on.
Tannenbaum, who now serves as an NFL analyst for ESPN, made his thoughts on Kelce very clear in a recent episode of “SportsCenter.”
“I would move on from Travis Kelce,” Tannenbaum declared. “Let me tell you why. When you’re in the front office, you have to project what a player is going to do, not what they’ve done. I’ve made that mistake countless times in my career.
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“Travis Kelce is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but when you watch him and make an honest and sober evaluation of his 2025 performance, clearly, his best days are behind him.”
Kelce played all 17 games for the Chiefs this past season. He registered 76 catches for 851 yards and five touchdowns. Tannenbaum, the former executive vice president f football operations for the Dolphins, believes that the years have caught up to Kelce.
Tannenbaum is adamant that instead of waiting for Kelce’s decision, the Chiefs must act swiftly in replacing him with younger talent.
“We talk about their lack of explosve plays,” Tannenbaum said of the Chiefs. “If I was Kansas City, I would make the right, albeit difficult, decision to move on from Travis Kelce. Probably get younger, faster, more explosive at the tight end position.”
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Tannenbaum has nothing against Kelce. In fact, the former NFL executive firmly believes that Kelce will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible.
However, the ESPN analyst is also urging the Chiefs to make the hard choice and move on from Kelce as soon as possible.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.