INDIANAPOLIS — Travis Kelce has yet to formally declare his intentions to play the 2025 NFL season or retire, but Chiefs GM Brett Veach has indicated he expects the star tight end back for at least one more year.
“How we left it at the end of the season is that he was fired up,” Veach said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “He has one more year under contract. I still think he has that fire and desire to play.”
Kelce, 35, signed a two-year contract last offseason that made him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL with an average annual salary of $17 million. Kansas City will owe Kelce an $11.5 million roster bonus on March 14, which sparked reports about a fast-approaching deadline for him to make a decision on his future.
However, Veach pushed back against that idea. “As far as I’m concerned, there is no deadline,” he said. “I think we left it as he’d be back, and we’re excited to get him back and get him going.”
Kelce is set to have a $19.8 million salary-cap hit next season, but the Chiefs could save $17 million if they cut the star. Ahead of Super Bowl LIX, Kelce said he felt like he had “a lot of good football left,” but NFL Network subsequently reported that a victory over the Eagles could sway Kelce to retire.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who spoke to reporters just before Veach did Tuesday, was more noncommittal on Kelce’s future, which he said is “up to Travis.”
“At this point, get out of town and relax—that’s my motto for these guys,” Reid said. “They’ve played a lot of games for a consistent amount of seasons. So, you get to the end of the thing, you’ve exhausted yourself mentally and physically. Step back, and take care of that, then we’ll talk. For right [now], I think that’s what he’s doing. And he and I will get together.”
Reid indicated he hadn’t spoken to Kelce since he had individual exit meetings with his players following the Super Bowl.
