By now, it’s fairly clear that an offseason rebuild is coming for the Kansas City Chiefs after their playoff elimination. The roster has obvious holes, starting with the pass rush, where Kansas City needs a consistent edge presence to pair with Chris Jones and George Karlaftis. That’s the football side of it. But the most headline-grabbing decision may sit on offense, and it revolves around Travis Kelce.

Whether Kelce returns for the 2026 season remains very much unresolved after a year that went sideways for Kansas City. Still, multiple analysts at ESPN have urged Andy Reid and the Chiefs to bring the veteran tight end back for at least one more run. Notably, ESPN’s offseason guide (Nate Taylor) lists ‘convince tight end Travis Kelce to return’ as a secondary priority for the Chiefs, noting a one-year deal could make sense for both sides. And the logic isn’t hard to follow.

A 14th season for Kelce would mean Patrick Mahomes keeps his most trusted target after a frustrating season, one that also ended with Mahomes dealing with a painful left knee injury. That continuity matters. But it doesn’t make the decision automatic. Kelce’s two-year, $34.25 million contract expired at the end of the season, making him an unrestricted free agent.

With Kelce at 36 and openly weighing his body’s ability to handle another season, this offseason realistically represents the Chiefs’ final window to make a contract push for his return.

On paper, a one-year deal feels like a clean solution for both sides. But it also raises the bigger question: does the 36-year-old have one more grind left, or does he walk away after a season that never really found its footing? Travis Kelce addressed that uncertainty during a recent episode of New Heights, hosted alongside his brother Jason Kelce. As the season wrapped up, he confirmed that conversations had already started inside the building.

“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,” Kelce said.

Those exit meetings typically set the tone for what comes next. And Kelce made it clear that his love for the game hasn’t faded. Instead, the decision hinges on how his body responds.

“There’s a lot of love for the game that’s still there, and I don’t think I’ll ever lose that,” Kelce added. “It’s a tough thing to navigate, but at the same time, 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 for now, it really comes down to one variable: health. If Kelce believes his body can handle one more NFL season, he’ll be back. If not, the Chiefs may be preparing for life without one of the most defining players of their era, especially as Kelce continues to explore opportunities beyond football.

Travis Kelce is in talks with multiple networks for a career move

Travis Kelce has already carved out a strong presence in the media space through his New Heights podcast. And with the 36-year-old inching closer to the back end of his NFL career (whether that endpoint comes in 2026 or later), it’s no surprise that conversations about life after football have started to surface. According to a report from PEOPLE, Kelce has been quietly laying the groundwork for what could come next.

“Travis has been in discussions with every major streaming service, including Netflix, and every major network for the past several years,” a source told PEOPLE. “And that is not affecting his decision whether or not he is returning to football because those discussions have been happening for the past several years.”

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At this point, no specific network has been publicly linked to Kelce. Still, industry speculation naturally points toward ESPN and FOX as potential front-runners should the Chiefs’ tight end decide to transition into media after retirement. That said, it’s all hypothetical for now. Until Kelce makes a definitive call, the focus remains on his NFL future.