Travis Kelce made his mind up. He is returning to the Kansas City Chiefs to play for a 14th season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Many teams, including the New York Giants, were interested in the future Hall of Famer, but he will stay loyal to the team that drafted him more than a decade ago.
At 36 years old, Kelce has been slowly declining, yet in 2025 he had quite a good season, getting Pro Bowl honors and leading the Chiefs in yards with 852. He also had five touchdowns during the season.
Kelce is not only an icon, but he is a captain and a leader of the team. His connection with Patrick Mahomes has been one of the most unstoppable things in the NFL for the past decade and it will continue to be like that, at least for one year.
Eric Bieniemy’s return might have played a factor in Kelce’s return
Back in January, the Chiefs announced the return of Eric Bieniemy as the team’s offensive coordinator. Kelce was ecstatic with that move. That might have been the key factor that made Kelce open to return. After all, Bieniemy made Kelce have the best years of his career.
Under Bieniemy, Kelce averaged 1,288.8 yards and 9.4 touchdowns per season on 101.4 receptions. Kelce was also in his prime at that point, so there is no guarantee that he’ll come back to that version, but surely Bieniemy has proven he knows how to get the best of Kelce.
Kelce’s possible contract is a lucrative one
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that Kelce and the Chiefs are working out a deal that could be up to $15 million for one year. Russini also reported that Kelce is exploring the market with a few select teams, but it seems like 87 will be back in Arrowhead.
Another key factor on Kelce’s return to the Chiefs is that you are almost guaranteed one or more step downs in quarterback play if you leave the team. Patrick Mahomes is an all-time great QB, and the chemistry with Kelce is one of the best. Hence, going to another team means a huge downgrade there, which could hamper Kelce’s production. For instance, if he went to the Giants, he would’ve gone from Mahomes, to Jaxson Dart.