NFL Hall of Famer predicts Travis Kelce’s retirement decision: ‘He’s done’

Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs experienced all kinds of disappointment in the 2025 NFL season. Following the playoff-elimination loss in Week 15, questions now loom around the star tight end’s future. Many are calling for him to retire, and Hall of Famer Cris Carter is among them.

“He’s done,” Carter said about Kelce during an appearance on the Up and Adams Show with Kay Adams. “I see him performing on stages more so than I do on NFL fields.“

Carter’s comments come just days after Kelce and the Chiefs missed the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2014. Although Kelce recorded seven catches for 70 yards against the LA Chargers in Week 15, his performance throughout the year was mostly flat and underwhelming. He managed to make a couple of flashy plays here and there, but the woes essentially overshadowed the highlights.

Kelce’s lost his flair

“He has no ability to be able to separate all his savviness and everything,” Carter added. “When you don’t have an elite receiver outside and you don’t have an elite running game, you can’t hide that. When he catches the football, his objective is not to fumble and he can’t make anybody miss anymore.”

Travis Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

Though the former Vikings wideout didn’t mince words or sugarcoat his thoughts on Kelce’s performance this season, to an extent his statement can be supported by the evidence.

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Known for his after-the-catch ability, Kelce has regressed tremendously in that area of his game. He appears to be missing a gear, which is only reasonable for a 36-year-old player who has been performing at the highest level since entering the NFL.

Kelce’s story could come full circle

If Kelce indeed announces his retirement after the 2025 NFL campaign, he would end things where they started. Kelce and the Chiefs missed the postseason during his rookie year in 2014 and could now miss the playoffs again in the tight end’s final season.

Needless to say, this coincidence would only highlight the incredible run Kansas City has been on ever since rolling the dice on a rowdy player out of the University of Cincinnati in the 2013 NFL Draft.