Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is set to enter his 13th season in the NFL this year. Throughout his 12-year career, Kelce has cemented himself as one of the league's best tight ends, with 12,151 receiving yards and 77 touchdown catches. He is third all-time in receiving yards by a tight end behind NFL Hall of Famers Jason Witten and Tony Gonzalez.
Kelce caught many by surprise this offseason when he decided to come back for another season. Many NFL fans are wondering if this will be his last in the league, but Kelce hasn't mentioned anything about this year being his final season.
Kelce recently spoke about his decision to return for another season and if 2025 will be his final season in the NFL.
Why did Travis Kelce decide to return
After the Chiefs failed to three-peat in the Super Bowl, losing 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles, Kelce didn't make his decision to return for a month after the season concluded. Despite finishing in the top five statistically among tight ends, Kelce recorded a career low of 823 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
The Super Bowl loss to the Eagles was one of the biggest factors in Kelce's decision to return. Kelce says that if the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, he's not sure if he would've retired or not. The blowout loss, however, caused Kelce to come back for a shot at redemption.
"It might've made me think about it more," Kelce said on the 'Bussin with the Boys Podcast.' "I think I just had a sour taste in my mouth immediately and I just can't, this can't be the last game."
Will this season be Travis Kelce's last in the NFL?
Kelce's current contract with the Chiefs is set to end after the conclusion of this season, which will make him an unrestricted free agent entering the offseason. Kelce mentioned how he wants to play his heart out for the city he's called home for his entire career.
"I mean, it's the last one on the contract," Kelce said. "I'm focused on this one. I don't know what next year is going to feel like, I don't know what I'm going to feel like in March and in April next year when I make that decision, or I try to figure out what's next for me."
It's hard to imagine, given the fact that his talent is slowly starting to decline, that Kelce will return for another season in the NFL after this year, no matter if the Chiefs win the Super Bowl or not. With that being said, he ought to make his intentions clear not just with the organization, but the fanbase.
Travis Kelce owes Chiefs fans an explanation
The earlier the Chiefs and their fanbase know Kelce's intentions, the better. For the Chiefs organization, they will have ample time to find a suitable replacement for the future Hall of Famer. If Kelce were to let the Chiefs know of his plan ahead of time, perhaps they could start scouting college tight ends early in hopes of selecting one next April.
As for the fanbase – Chiefs fans are some of the most passionate in the NFL. Toying with them year-in and year-out surely wasn't Kelce's intent, but it was the outcome. Chiefs fans want to celebrate Kelce while they still can, and if this is his final year with the team, then they will give him the sendoff he deserves.