Jan 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) leaves the field after the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Chiefs Sign Tight End, First Move Toward Potential Kelce Retirement

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Zak Gilbert | Last updated Jan 13, 2026 12:00 PM ET

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Travis Kelce said after the season he’d take a few weeks to decide on potentially playing a 14th year in the NFL.

“I think just being a regular human for a couple weeks,” Kelce said on last week’s edition of New Heights, “maybe a month or so, and try and figure out what I'm gonna do next in terms of my future in football. And I've talked to a few people in the facility already, having the exit meetings and everything, and they know where I stand, at least right now.”

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Taking nothing for granted

And at least right now, the Chiefs aren’t taking any chances. That’s why they made a move to add depth to Kelce’s position on Monday, signing Tre Watson to a reserve/future contract.

Even if Kelce decides to return, the future Hall of Famer is a free agent. And the Chiefs obviously liked what they saw in Watson.

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A 6-5, 250-pound tight end from Texas A&M, Watson re-signed with Kansas City after spending his entire rookie season in the organization. Watson, 23, joined the Chiefs as a non-drafted free agent in May, then helped the club on its practice squad the entire year.

Practice-squad contracts for non-playoff teams like the Chiefs expired Monday morning, but Watson didn’t have to wait long. His new contract was on the books by day’s end.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Tight ends on roster without Kelce

Watson joins a room that becomes largely young and inexperienced without the 36-year-old Kelce.

Veteran Noah Gray, 26, would inherit the starting role. Behind him would be Jared Wiley, 25, and Jake Briningstool, 23, in addition to Watson. That group has a combined 95 NFL games and 126 receptions – 83 and 124 of which, respectively, belong to Gray.

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Robert Tonyan, who initially joined the team as a practice-squad veteran in 2024 and enjoyed a promising preseason, never got many opportunities during the 2025 regular season. Now a free agent, Tonyan caught just one pass for 1 yard, despite playing in all 17 games.

Wiley, the Chiefs’ fourth-round selection in the 2024 draft, tore his ACL midway through his rookie season. A 6-6, 249-pound tight end out of TCU, Wiley played five games in 2025, with one reception for 4 yards.

Briningstool, a 6-6, 240-pound college free agent signed in May out of Clemson, spent his entire rookie campaign on injured reserve with a hamstring issue. Despite returning to practice late in the season, he wasn’t activated for any of the team’s final games.

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This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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