Tight end Travis Kelce took some time to contemplate his NFL future following the end of a disappointing regular season for the Kansas City Chiefs.
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The Chiefs missed the playoffs after finishing with a 6-11 record.
Kelce was weighing retirement or the potential of signing with another NFL team for 2026 while quarterback Patrick Mahomes rehabbed from an ACL injury he suffered in Week 15 that could cause him to miss the start of the upcoming regular season.
Kelce saw his reception number decline last season. He finished with 76 receptions for 851 yards and five touchdowns.
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Last week, Kelce agreed to re-sign with the Chiefs on a one-year deal worth $12 million. The contract has incentives that would move that number to $15 million.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated thinks Kansas City’s deal for Kelce was put together in a “pretty interesting way” this offseason. He suggested the agreement for 2026 looks like a “farewell deal” from the Chiefs to the 36-year-old tight end.
“First, as a rule, they don’t do void years, but they used the 50% rule and a post–June 1 mechanism in 2027 (we’ll explain in a separate post) to spread the cap damage out over three years,” Breer wrote.
“Second, the $3 million in incentives are attainable—if the Chiefs make the playoffs, he’ll get $750,000 at 60% playing time, $1 million at 70% playing time or $2 million at 80% playing time. If they get to the Super Bowl, he’ll get another $250,000 at 60% playing time, or $1 million at 70% playing time.”
It appears the Chiefs are planning to have Kelce on the roster for just one more season.
Kelce will have one more opportunity to leave the Chiefs on top. He’s won three Super Bowls with Kansas City. The highly decorated tight end has earned seven All-Pro nominations and made the Pro Bowl 11 times.
Kelce has nothing to prove, but it’s understandable he wants to leave on better terms than what happened in 2025.
For more on the Chiefs and the NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.