It's safe to say that Super Bowl LIX did not go the way anyone on the Kansas City Chiefs' roster imagined. Not only did they fail to pull off the three-peat, but they were embarrassed on the biggest stage in sports by the Philadelphia Eagles. Travis Kelce in particular was disappointing in this one, recording just four catches for 39 yards - none of which came in the first half when the game was within striking distance.
Kelce's rare no-show in a crucial game sparked the already very real retirement rumors even further. There were even hints during the game that suggested retirement was on the way.
While many think Kelce will retire, knowing that he has accomplished just about everything he could at the NFL level and is more than set up for the remainder of his life, that's far from a given. Kelce himself said on his podcast that he's going to take time to make this decision.
The Chiefs would obviously love him back, but they would understand if he walked away from the game now, given all he has accomplished. His indecisiveness, however, is not something they want to deal with as they attempt to build a roster capable of winning the 2025 Super Bowl. They made that clear by setting a mid-March deadline for Kelce to make one of the biggest decisions of his career.
That indecision could end up costing the Chiefs in more ways than one.
Travis Kelce's indecisiveness could cost the Chiefs in multiple ways
First and foremost, Kelce choosing to wait could end up costing the Chiefs financially. The 35-year-old is due an $11.5 million roster bonus on March 15 - an amount they'd love not to pay if Kelce is hanging up the spikes. Kelce opting to wait longer than Kansas City would like might cost the Chiefs an opportunity to sign guys like Mike Gesicki, Tyler Conklin, or Zach Ertz, arguably the three best tight ends in free agency.
As if that isn't annoying enough, what will internal options like Noah Gray and Jared Wiley think of Kelce's indecisiveness? If Kelce bolts, they'd likely play a whole lot more, even if the Chiefs bring in an external option, rather than if he were to stay. It probably isn't the best feeling for them to not know their role at the start of the new league year.
Kelce taking too long can cost them their ideal free agency replacement, and can impact their ideal in-house replacement as well.
With all of this in mind, it'd be best for the Chiefs front office and the players currently on the roster if Kelce can make up his mind sooner rather than later. Yes, it's a difficult decision, but the franchise will continue on whether he's there or not. Making his decision sooner allows the franchise to adjust to whatever he ends up deciding to do.