It felt as if the second that Super Bowl LIX wrapped up, all eyes immediately turned to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and for good reason. Speculation regarding whether that Super Bowl would be his NFL swan song ran rampant prior to the Big Game, and Kelce hadn't given a definite answer regarding his future.
Eventually, Kelce confirmed that he'd return for the 2025 campaign, but the fact that he at the very least considered retirement suggests that he might not have much football left in him. The team's recent negotiations with Trent McDuffie regarding an extension makes it even clearer that the 2025 campaign is shaping up to be Kelce's last.
When asked about an extension, McDuffie said that talks are underway with the Chiefs and that "things are looking good out here in KC." Obviously, nothing is guaranteed until the ink is dry, but it's hard not to expect a deal. It'd be wise for the Chiefs to get one done now, too.
Chiefs All-Pro CB Trent McDuffie says contract talks are underway — and “things are looking good out here in KC.” 🚀@heykayadams | @trent_mcduffie | @Chiefs #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/xrLujB9UJw
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) August 11, 2025
A McDuffie extension might not impact Kelce's Chiefs future at first glance, but a deeper look would suggest it'll be awfully tough for Kansas City to retain the future Hall of Famer if a McDuffie deal were to go down.
Chiefs paying Trent McDuffie makes it nearly impossible to extend Travis Kelce
The Chiefs are projected to be more than $51 million over the cap next season per Spotrac, and that's without a McDuffie extension. Assuming McDuffie, an elite cornerback, gets paid like one of the best defensive backs in the game, that number will go way up. Sure, the Chiefs can try to get creative to clear cap space, and they'd have to do so in order to make things work even without Kelce locked in, doing it while also extending Kelce is a tall ask.
The only way they can conceivably make this work is if Kelce, still one of the best tight ends in the league, takes a major pay cut. This is possible, but it's not as if Kelce has much of an incentive to do so given all he's accomplished. It's not as if he hasn't won anything.
All signs suggest the 2025 campaign will be Kelce's last. This is his last year under contract, Kelce was already contemplating retirement and the Chiefs' financial situation makes it really tough to keep him in town. Things can change, and there are ways to make a Kelce reunion work, but until that happens, Chiefs fans who expect to see one of their heroes walk away after the year have little to no reason to change their minds.