Brett Veach reveals when Chiefs knew Travis Kelce would return for 2026 season

Whether future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce would either return to the Kansas City Chiefs for one more campaign or retire was a massive storyline that hovered over the franchise for the first two months of its offseason. 

Kelce then confirmed on March 10 that he and the Chiefs would be "making another run at it." During a recent appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," Chiefs general manager Brett Veach revealed that the Kelce decision wasn't as dramatic for those associated with the franchise. 

Travis Kelce was "not going out like this" after a lackluster season

"We played our last game of the season [at the Las Vegas Raiders], and when we got back, we have player meetings and exit interviews," Veach explained, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. "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.'"

Kelce was referring to how the 2025 Chiefs went from 6-5 to 6-11, missing the playoffs. The future of the 36-year-old then became more unclear when starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes went down with a torn ACL and torn LCL in December. Mahomes reportedly is on track to participate in some training-camp practices, and he is targeting Week 1 of the 2026 season for his return to the lineup. 

The Chiefs never doubted Travis Kelce's intentions

"We certainly knew ahead of time," Veach added about Kelce returning to the Chiefs for another campaign. "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 [head coach Andy Reid] and to me that there was no way he was going out like this."

The terms of the contract Kelce signed in March suggest he will retire next offseason. He is on track to be married to entertainment superstar Taylor Swift by then, but Veach wouldn't confirm that the 2026 season will be the "last dance" of Kelce's remarkable career.