Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Andy Reid Sends Message on Travis Kelce’s Retirement Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Jan 4, 2026 9:02 PM ET

Travis Kelce walked off the field at Allegiant Stadium in what very well could have been his final NFL game with the Kansas City Chiefs . On Sunday, Kelce and Andy Reid's Chiefs suffered a 14-12 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2025 NFL season finale, ending their season with a 6-11 record and a six-game losing streak.

Kelce finished the game with three catches for 12 yards, catching passes from reserve quarterbacks Chris Oladokun and Shane Buechele. In the final game of his 13th NFL season, he surpassed the 13,000-yard receiving mark, joining Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten as the only tight ends in league history to reach the milestone.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and tight end Travis Kelce.Michael Chow / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kansas City had arguably its worst season under Reid, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014. To make matters worse, Patrick Mahomes is recovering from an ACL injury he suffered in December. With significant changes likely on the horizon, Kelce is still weighing a potential retirement decision.

"I got so much love for this team and this organization and the people here," Kelce said on his retirement decision. "So I'll spend some time with them, go through meetings tomorrow, get close to the family and figure things out."

While Kelce continues to weigh whether to return for his 14th season, Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones is confident the tight end will be back, saying, “He’ll be back next year.” Reid, however, was less certain about what Kelce will ultimately decide to do.

“We’ll just see where it goes," Reid commented. "We really haven’t gone through that. But we’ll see where it all goes from here.”

Chris Jones and Andy Reid on if this was Travis Kelce's final game. #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/RuXXn3duA1
— Mick Shaffer (@mickshaffer) January 5, 2026

On the bright side, the Chiefs will enter the offseason holding the ninth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft as they look to improve the roster and return to the Super Bowl next season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: