This might be the end of the road for Travis Kelce. The Kansas City Chiefs’ star tight end is in the final year of his $34.25 million deal with the Chiefs, and according to insiders, retirement is looming larger than ever after the 2025 season.
Kelce, 35, admitted following the Chiefs’ heartbreaking Super Bowl loss in February that he briefly considered walking away. While he chose to return for one more season, sources close to the player now believe this could be his last ride.
“This should be the end,” one insider told the Daily Mail, adding that Kelce already “anticipates” hanging up his cleats regardless of how tough the decision may be.
Before stepping away, Kelce has one more milestone within reach: Rob Gronkowski’s all-time tight end touchdown record. Gronk retired with 93 touchdowns, while Kelce currently sits at 81. That leaves him 13 shy of the mark, a tall ask considering he managed only 3 touchdowns last season.
Throughout his career, Kelce has averaged 6–9 touchdowns per season, with a career-high of 12. But he scored only three touchdowns in 2024, the second-fewest of his career next to his rookie season when he had none in one game appearance.
To pass Gronk this year, he’d need this to be one of his most prolific scoring seasons ever. And things are already not looking good for him if his Brazil performance is any indication.
Kelce had just one catch for 10 yards on the stat sheet for most of that game. Then, finally, with a little over 12 minutes to play, he broke free downfield. Mahomes hit him in stride for a 37-yard touchdown that electrified the Brazilian crowd and swung momentum Kansas City’s way. But only briefly. And it wasn’t enough to help them win.