Some within Chiefs think Travis Kelce already made retirement decision
Travis Kelce has not publicly made a decision on his future in the NFL, but plenty of others are weighing in on the matter.
NFL insider James Palmer reported Wednesday that the sense he’s getting from the Chiefs organization is that the end is near.
Palmer said as such during an appearance on “Up & Adams” with Kay Adams, where he said that Kelce cried during a speech after the game, noting that he had also cried the year before when the Chiefs had won their second consecutive title.
“My gut tells me this is IT.”@JamesPalmerTV heard from inside the #Chiefs organization about Travis Kelce’s future 😳@heykayadams @Chiefs | #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/dJigP5IXvs— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) February 12, 2025
However, the insider revealed that after talking to “several people within the organization” that when he asked what their gut was telling them, “they were both like ‘my gut tells me this is it, but he hasn’t said anything in either direction to anybody here.’”
“The people in the building believe he has lost a step. They still believe he can completely play, but there’s so much on the other side as well,” Palmer added later. “I think there’s just a lot really on his shoulders and what’s next. Do you keep playing because it’s what you know? I mean this is a massive decision and it’s a massive decision for the future of the organization.”
Travis Kelce and the Chiefs fell short of a Super Bowl three-peat. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce walks off the field after a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles during Super Bowl 2025. AP
The questions surrounding Kelce were one of the biggest storylines before and remains so after the Chiefs’ loss to the Eagles in the Super Bowl.
Kelce hedged his answer a bit when he spoke about the topic in the days before the big game.
The 35-year-old tight end expressed hope he’d still be playing when asked where he envisioned himself in three years, but acknowledged the uncertainty around everything.
“We’ll see what happens,” Kelce said at the time. “I know I’ve been setting myself up for other opportunities in my life. That’s always been the goal knowing football only lasts for so long. You have to find a way to get into another career and another profession. I’ve been doing that in my offseason.”
Dallas Goedert of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs meet after Philadelphia beat Kansas City to win Super Bowl 2025 at Caesars Superdome on February 9, 2025 in New Orleans, Getty Images
Kelce is coming off a regular season where he’d had 823 yards — his lowest in a full season — on 97 catches for three touchdowns.
When asked about it after the loss to the Eagles, Patrick Mahomes told reporters that “he still has a lot of football in him” when discussing Kelce.
On his “New Heights” podcast he hosts with his brother Jason, Travis said he doesn’t want to make any rash moves.
“I know everybody wants to know whether I am playing next year and right now I am just kicking everything down the road. I am kicking every can I can down the road,” Kelce said. “I am not making any crazy decisions, but right now the biggest thing is just being there for my teammates and being there for my coaches understanding there’s a lot that goes into this thing. I’ve been fortunate over the past five, six years, I’ve played more football than anybody.
“The fact that we keep going to these AFC Championships and Super Bowls, that means I’m playing an extra three games more than everybody else in the entire league. That’s a lot of wear and tear on your body.”
