The Kansas City Chiefs expect tight end Travis Kelce to see out the final year of his contract, according to general manager Brett Veach.
Kelce, 35, said he was considering retirement after the Chiefs were beaten 40-22 by the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59.
The three-time Super Bowl winner has another year left on his contract and Veach said there was “no deadline” for Kelce to decide whether he will return for the 2025 season.
Veach spoke with Kelce before the Chiefs began their off-season, the player telling him he was “fired-up about being here”.
“He has one more year under contract,” Veach added. “We left it at ‘he’d be back’ and we’re excited to have him back. As far as I’m concerned, there is no deadline.”
Kansas City have played in five of the past six Super Bowls, with Kelce restricted to four catches for 39 yards as the Eagles denied the Chiefs an unprecedented Super Bowl ‘three-peat’ this month.
“We did have a chance to talk before they left,” added head coach Andy Reid. “[His future is] up to Travis.
“At this point, it’s ‘get out of town’. They’ve played a lot of football here, so step back, then we’ll talk.”
Kelce claimed more than 1,000 receiving yards for seven straight seasons from 2016-22.
He made 97 receptions for 823 yards during the 2024 regular season, his lowest yardage total since 2014.
Speaking on his New Heights podcast, Kelce spoke of the “wear and tear” his body has suffered during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl runs and that he would not rush into “any crazy decisions”.
