One of the biggest questions of the Kansas City Chiefs' offseason is whether tight end Travis Kelce will return for a 14th NFL season.
On Tuesday, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt chimed in with a supportive voice, saying that the team will give Kelce time to make up his mind and that he hopes the future Hall of Famer will return.
“Well, as an organization, we certainly hope that he will come back,” Hunt told "Good Morning Football" on Tuesday. “He had another great year, maybe not on par with where he was four or five years ago, but still had over 800 yards, and was really one of the leaders on the offensive side of the ball for us. So there’s no doubt in my mind that he can still play. We’re trying to be respectful and let him have the time that he needs to make a decision.
“He has sort of a busy offseason coming up with his engagement and marriage, so we want to be respectful and give him the time he needs to make a decision. But we certainly hope that he’ll be back.”
Days after the Chiefs' season came to an end without playoff football for the first time since 2014, the 36-year-old Kelce said on his "New Heights" podcast with brother Jason that he was undecided about his future, and that while he still has "a lot of love" for football he wanted to see how his body responded to rest.
Kelce had an emotional send-off in the Chiefs' final regular season home game in Week 17 with his mom, Donna, and his fiancée, Taylor Swift, both in attendance. Speaking to reporters following Week 18, the four-time All-Pro said that last season he knew immediately he wanted to return. This time around? It's not as simple.
"Who knows?" Kelce said. "Either it hits me quick or I've got to take some time. Last year was a little bit easier. I think I knew right away I wanted to kind of give this one a shot. So I dunno. We'll see."
Kelce's production was similar to that of what he did in 2024. This past season he caught 76 passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns. While those numbers weren't anywhere near his output during his prime, he still average 11.2 yards per reception, his highest since 2022.
If Kelce, who pulled out of the Pro Bowl this week, does choose to return for 2026, quarterback Patrick Mahomes may not be there at the start after tearing his ACL in December. No timeline has been put on his return, but Hunt said Tuesday "I wouldn't put it past him" for the two-time MVP to be ready for Week 1.
