Trainer reveals if Chiefs' Travis Kelce plans to return for 2024 season

As far as Florida trainer Andrew Spruill knows, Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce plans to spend roughly eight weeks during the upcoming offseason training in Boca Raton so he can be as ready as possible to begin the 2024 campaign. 

"According to him, he’s coming back," Spruill said about Kelce during a recent conversation with Marc Berman of The Palm Beach Post. "I went up for two games to go see him. I trust he’ll be back, especially if he wants to keep playing at the age he is. He needs to get in the gym and make sure he’s ready."

Kelce turned 34 years old this past fall and told J.R. Moehringer of The Wall Street Journal for a piece published in November that he thinks about retirement "nonstop" and "more than anyone could ever imagine." Some have suggested throughout the ongoing season that Kelce is "distracted" by his relationship with entertainment superstar Taylor Swift, but Spruill hinted that the future Hall of Famer never got fully right after a bone bruise/hyperextension in his knee prevented Kelce from playing in Kansas City's regular-season opener. 

"Two days before the game, he hyperextended his knee at practice," Spruill added about Kelce. "He started off already on an injured note to where he’s never dealt with. He’s been as healthy as you can be for an NFL player for his career. Rookie year he missed but hadn’t missed a game until this year. That, plus a new offense, and receivers they have, it hasn’t come together as it was expected to. It definitely put a damper on his typical production." 

Kelce couldn't hide his frustrations during the home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day, but the numbers show he's enjoying a solid season. Per ESPN stats, he heads into this Sunday's home game against the 8-7 Cincinnati Bengals leading the Chiefs with 90 receptions, 117 targets and 968 receiving yards for the campaign. He's second on the team with five touchdown catches. 

As of Friday afternoon, ESPN Bet listed the 9-6 Chiefs as 6.5-point favorites against the Bengals.