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Travis Kelce Shares the One Thing That Would Convince Him to Return to the Field Next Season
As the National Football League’s (NFL) regular season comes to a close, Travis Kelce is reflecting on the season.
He’s also exploring what may come next for him, including whether or not he will return to the Kansas City Chiefs or to the NFL at all next year.
On a new episode of the “New Heights” podcast, which Travis co-hosts with his brother, Jason Kelce, Travis first opened up about the season’s frustrating end with the Chiefs not making the playoffs.
With the Chiefs fully out of the running for the big game this year, Jason asked Travis to share his “closing sentiments” about the 2025-2026 season.
“It was a tough season, obviously,” Travis said on the podcast. “We finished the season with a lot of starters kind of being banged up so we had a mixture of guys that were getting their first taste of what the NFL has to offer, which is fun, but it definitely has its challenges, and, you know, it’s a tough way to go out.”
Not making the playoffs is an even tougher pill for Travis and the Chiefs to swallow given the fact that they made it all the way to the Super Bowl the last three years, with wins in 2023 and 2024 and a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025.
Over the past few weeks, Travis has been candid about the fact that he’s toying with the idea of retirement.
For Travis, it’s all about assessing his physical health and ability after 13 years of giving it his all in the league.
“If my body can heal up and rest up and I feel confident that I can give it another 18, 20, 21 week run, I think I would do it in a heartbeat,” he said of his potential return.
“So I’m confused, so you’re not already coming back?” Jason asked, then following up with the fact that Travis’ teammate Chris Jones publicly said he was “not buying” the idea that Travis might not be back on the team again next fall.
“That’s why we love Chris, he’s very optimistic,” Travis said with a laugh.
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