Chiefs 'Basically' Didn't Have To Wait At All For Travis Kelce's Return
Despite all the rumors surrounding Travis Kelce earlier this offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs were never worried about losing the future Hall of Famer.
Initially, there were rumblings that Kelce could retire after a disappointing 2025 season for the Chiefs. It was then reported by WFAN's Craig Carton that Kelce could leave Kansas City to play for the New York Giants.
"The rumor is that Travis Kelce is not going to retire. He wants to come back for another year, but he does not want to go back to Kansas City," Carton said. "I saw a story today that Travis Kelce wants to play for the New York Giants! That way he and his wife can live in New York City, she can go to every game, and Travis Kelce can be in the biggest media market in America. I know it's just a rumor, but do not sleep on the Giants signing Kelce this offseason."
When the dust settled, the Chiefs signed Kelce to a three-year deal worth a total of $57 million.
During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said he always knew Kelce would return for the 2026 season.
"We played our last game of the season in Vegas last year, and when we got back we have player meetings and exit interviews. It was a cool deal where Trav came in and he basically said ‘I'm going to take a few weeks off here, but I'm not going out like this, let's stay in touch and let's figure something out.' We certainly knew ahead of time," Veach said, via Pro Football Talk. "While free agency and there was still some questions in the air on whether or not he'd return, we knew basically the day after our last game. He made it known to coach Reid and to me that there was no way he was going out like this."
One last ride for Kelce?
Kelce proved during the 2025 season that he still has gas left in the tank. The 11-time Pro Bowler had 76 receptions for 851 yards and five touchdowns.
The good news for Kelce is that he won't need to be the driving force for Andy Reid's squad. The addition of running back Kenneth Walker III should make the Chiefs much more balanced on offense.
With Patrick Mahomes ahead of schedule in his ACL recovery, the Chiefs should have more than enough firepower to bounce back in the AFC West.
In fact, Kansas City is the odds-on favorite (+170) to win its division as of this May.
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This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 10:08 AM.