Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs have a big problem to solve in the coming weeks. According to a report by Ian Rapoport, the intention is to bring back Travis Kelce, but the salary cap will be a huge obstacle.
“Right now, they’re $54 million over the cap. We know they would like to bring Travis Kelce back. To do that, they’ve got to do it at a number that’s reasonable and they got to get under the cap. They’ve got some big numbers that they can massage, but, it is a little bit of a math problem now for the Kansas City Chiefs. It gives you an understanding of why it’s a challenging month for them to try to get under the cap and do some work.”
With the arrival of Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator, Kelce has hinted that he would like to return to try to win one last Super Bowl alongside Patrick Mahomes. However, his contract must be team-friendly since the Chiefs face a lot of pressure on the salary cap.
Travis Kelce’s retirement decision
Ian Rapoport himself noted a few weeks ago that the Chiefs want Travis Kelce back and that the decision will be known very soon. Despite a disappointing 2025 season with a 6-11 record, the insider believes they will be championship contenders.
“They’re a Super Bowl contender every single year. They have Patrick Mahomes. They have excellent players at all sorts of levels of their team. They have a lot of high priced players which give them the problems that they’re dealing with.”
To get back to the Super Bowl, the Chiefs need to fill many holes with very little salary cap space. On offense, there is no doubt that running back is the most important position where they need reinforcements, in addition to strengthening the line. On defense, they need stars who can create a pass rush. That has been the formula for the most recent champions in the NFL.