Travis Kelce’s two-year, $34.25 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs is set to expire at the end of the league year on March 11. He’s still mulling over whether to retire or come back for a 14th season. While many wish for the latter, Andy Reid has already made a roster move at the tight end position.

The Chiefs have signed tight end Tre Watson to a reserve deal as part of their annual year-end roster adjustments. Tre Watson will vie for a roster spot in the coming season.

Practice squad contracts for teams that didn’t make the playoffs officially expired on Monday. While Watson made it through, the Chiefs did not re-sign guard Nick Brocker, wide receiver Jason Brownlee, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, defensive end Malik Herring, fullback Carson Steele, or defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu for the 2026 season.

Watson arrived in Kansas City last April as an undrafted free agent. Over four college seasons split between the Fresno State Bulldogs and Texas A&M Aggies, he totaled 77 catches for 872 yards.

The rookie then joined the Chiefs early in the offseason. However, he dealt with a few injury setbacks along the way. Yet, the tight end was kept on the 90-man roster.

His first summer didn’t go as expected, though. Watson opened training camp on the non-football injury list for undisclosed reasons. Once activated on July 27, he played in all three preseason games and caught one pass for four yards. He was then waived at the final roster cutdowns at the end of the preseason. 

The Chiefs have now brought him back. With Tre Watson in the fold, the Chiefs have four tight ends under contract for the 2026 season, alongside Noah Gray, Jake Briningstool, and Jared Wiley. And of course, Travis Kelce’s status remains uncertain. Travis Kelce has already said he plans to make his retirement decision by early March, before free agency opens. That timeline has been out there for a while. What’s been harder to read is the direction he’s leaning.

Travis Kelce mulls over retirement decision

Travis Kelce has acknowledged he hasn’t locked in a final answer yet. But he made it clear that both he and the Chiefs are very much on the same page about where things stand right now.

“I’ve talked to a few people in the facility already, you know, having the exit meetings, and they know where I stand at least right now,” Kelce said on New Heights, alongside his brother Jason Kelce and actor Matt Damon.

That still doesn’t tell us exactly what he’s going to do. At this point, the idea of Kelce coming back for a 14th NFL season in 2026 would surprise a good chunk of the fanbase.

The TE’s resume is pretty much complete. Kelce is a seven-time All-Pro, an 11-time Pro Bowler, a three-time Super Bowl champion, and a future Hall of Famer. He has earned more than $100 million over his career, and that doesn’t even touch the endorsement money. If he comes back, it won’t be because he needs the paycheck.

A potential return would boil down to the passion Kelce has for the game. However, after the way the Chiefs’ season unfolded, that love probably isn’t at its peak. Kansas City’s 6–11 finish was jarring. It marked just the second time in Kelce’s career that the Chiefs missed the postseason. Individually, it wasn’t his sharpest year either.

He finished with 76 catches for 851 yards and five touchdowns, enough to earn an 11th straight Pro Bowl nod, but there were some costly drops mixed in along the way. A

After a season marked by highs and lows on the field, along with the start of new chapters in his personal life, the tight end has plenty to reflect on. It’s going to take a few more weeks (or months) of sitting with it before Kelce decides what the next chapter looks like.