Chiefs officially secure TE for 2026 with Travis Kelce still contemplating retirement

The Kansas City Chiefs don’t know whether Travis Kelce will be back for the 2026 season. And while a potential retirement would leave a huge void at Arrowhead, the team recently made a move to at least have more depth at tight end in the event Kelce calls it a career.

On Monday, the NFL’s daily transactions report showed that the Chiefs secured TE Tre Watson to a reserve/future deal. The move came only a few hours after his practice squad contract expired.

Watson, who played for Fresno State and Texas A&M in college, went undrafted in 2025 but immediately found a home in Kansas City, spending his first year in the NFL with the Chiefs’ scout team.

Kelce’s future with Chiefs up in the air

While lacking official NFL snaps, the 23-year-old could be a tight end to develop in Kansas City with Kelce’s retirement on the horizon. At 36, and set to turn 37 in October, it’s safe to believe there aren’t many years left in Kelce’s career.

Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

Kelce’s contract is up this offseason, which makes his future even more uncertain. He can still come back, but if he does, it will probably be on a short-term deal. But one thing’s for certain: sooner or later, the Chiefs will need to replace Kelce, and having young players in the TE room could help them develop potential replacements.

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Travis Kelce on possibility of returning in 2026

Just like in 2025, Kelce will take some time to think about his future in the NFL. During a recent episode of the ‘New Heights’ show with his brother Jason, Travis addressed the possibility of coming back for a 14th season.

“Just being a regular human for a couple weeks, maybe a month or so, and trying to figure out what I’m gonna do next in terms of my future in football,” Kelce said. “And I’ve talked to a few people in the facility already, having the exit meetings and everything, and they know where I stand, at least right now. And I think there’s a lot of love for the game that’s still there, and I don’t think I’ll ever lose that.

“And I don’t know. It’s a tough thing to navigate, but at the same time, I think if my body can heal up and rest up, and I can feel confident that I can go out there and give it another 18-, 20-, 21-week run, I think I would do it in a heartbeat. So I think right now it’s just finding that answer and seeing how the body feels after this game, and kind of when it all settles down.”

The other TE options in Kansas City

The Chiefs had Noah Gray, Robert Tonyan, and Jared Wiley behind Kelce in 2025. Just like Kelce, Tonyan is among the Chiefs free agents in 2026. Watson’s reserve/future deal provides a bit more depth, though losing Kelce would probably force Kansas City to add more tight ends in the offseason.