Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce knows that the team will not be going to the playoffs this season, but that has not changed his plans when it comes to addressing whether he’ll continue playing in 2026.
Kelce, who is not under contract beyond this season, said earlier this year that he plans to make a decision about retirement before free agency gets underway next March. At a Friday press conference, Kelce said that his focus remains on the present when he was asked if he has given any thought to the fact that he might have played his final game with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“I’d rather keep the focus of the media and everything on this team right now,” Kelce said. “All the conversations I have with the team and everything moving forward will be with them. I think it’s a unique time in my life. Unfortunately I’ve got three games left and I know when the season ends this year. Typically we go into it and we don’t know when it’s going to end and that’s the beauty of it. Just trying to make sure that everybody here knows that I’m focused on trying to win football games, these last three games.”
The Chiefs will play the first of those three games in Tennessee on Sunday and they’ll have their final home game of the season against the Broncos in Week 17. Kelce’s plans may not be known before that contest, but it seems likely that the home crowd will take a moment to salute the longtime star in the event it is the last time he’s on that field.
