Will Travis Kelce retire after this season? Jason Kelce weighs in
The Chiefs tight end wanted at least one last shot at redemption after their 2024 Super Bowl loss, but with the playoffs out of reach, what’s the plan?
At the end of the 2024-25 NFL season, there was a lot of speculation that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce might retire. However, the Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and a down year for Kelce left him feeling unsatisfied. He ultimately decided to play at least one more season, and we now know how that went.
The Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday, for the first time since 2014, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes left the game with a torn ACL. After 13 seasons with the Chiefs, five Super Bowl appearances, three Super Bowl victories, numerous Pro Bowl appearances and All-Pro selections, and holding several records, this is probably not how Kelce wants to end his career, especially considering he didn’t even want to end it in a Super Bowl loss.
"Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce have been great for a long time now..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 16, 2025
These guys have a great feel for the game"@BruceArians #PMSLive https://t.co/XmvWXBypXv pic.twitter.com/TzLfYTFIkx
But once the 2025 season officially ends, he’ll have to make that decision again. He’s got a wedding coming up with fiancé Taylor Swift and a lot to look forward to off the field. Is he ready to call it quits, or will he give it another shot, even if Mahomes isn’t the guy throwing to him next season? His brother, Jason Kelce, has weighed in.
Jason Kelce speculates on Travis Kelce retirememt
It wasn’t too long ago that former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce was contemplating retirement for himself, so he knows exactly what Travis is going through at the moment. Like Travis, he played 13 seasons in the NFL for the same team, and he retired in March 2024. If Travis retires this season, it would be following a season in which the Chiefs lost the Super Bowl to the Eagles. Jason retired the season after the Eagles lost to the Chiefs.
However, Jason doesn’t seem to know any more about which way Travis is leaning than anyone else.
During ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown, after the Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention, host Scott Van Pelt asked Jason about Travis’ plans for after this season and how he would approach the topic of retirement.
“I’m curious too,” Jason said. “I think to nail that decision, you gotta step away from the game for a little bit.”
.@JasonKelce on whether Travis Kelce is weighing retirement at the end of the season.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 15, 2025
"To nail that decision you gotta step away from the game for a little bit ... It's too fresh." pic.twitter.com/XNcCPIYcZO
“Play these last three games, enjoy them with your teammates, enjoy them with your coaches,” said Jason. “And then let it sink in. It’ll come to you with time. There’s so many emotions with this game right after a season...it’s just too fresh.”
The last time Travis spoke on the matter himself was about a month ago, when the Chiefs’ postseason was still within reach. At that point, he said he wouldn’t even be thinking about it until after the season. We’ve got no reason to believe that has changed. We can only speculate as to what he may decide. However, he will release a new episode of his podcast “New Heights” with Jason on Wednesday, which may provide a bit of insight as to where his head is at after the Chiefs’ brutal exit.
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