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Travis Kelce Announcement Made After 13th Season With Chiefs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Parker Johnson | Last updated Jan 15, 2026 3:28 PM ET

At this point in the Kansas City Chiefs' offseason, we still do not know whether or not three-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce will return for another NFL season. Kelce's 13th year with the Chiefs did not go to plan, as Kansas City missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014 with a 6-11 record.

The silver lining for Kelce is that he gets to enjoy a longer offseason than he has in years, due to the Chiefs dynastic postseason success that included trips to the AFC Championship Game all seven previous seasons that Patrick Mahomes was the starting quarterback.

In February, Kelce will have the chance to attend the Pro Bowl Games and the Super Bowl if he chooses. His organization, Tight End University, announced plans on Thursday for the Big Game in the Bay Area this year.

San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle and Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce greet the crowd during the “Tight Ends & Friends” concert at Brooklyn Bowl.Alan Poizner / For The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

Kelce founded Tight End University alongside NFL stars George Kittle and Greg Olsen in 2021 with the goal of bringing the tight end community together. Their annual, three-day football summit has grown each year, expanding so much that it hosted an impromptu Taylor Swift concert last summer in Nashville. The party is set to continue during Super Bowl LX next month.

"We’re kicking off Big Game Weekend on Thursday, February 5 with Tight Ends & Friends, presented by Cash App and VISA," Kelce's organization announced in an Intagram post. "A high-energy night celebrating the community and culture of Tight End University that you won’t want to miss."

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The event description left the door open for another Kelce-Swift moment, stating, "supporting acts and friends to be announced at a later date."

While Kelce's presence was not explicitly confirmed, the Chiefs star liked the post on Instagram and we know his availability will not be restricted by his NFL schedule this year.

On his "New Heights" podcast with his brother, Jason Kelce, Travis said he is looking forward to "just being a human for a couple weeks, maybe a month or so" while he figures out the next steps of his career.

Nashville got down to this sick beat! Taylor Swift surprised the crowd at Travis Kelce's Tight End University event with an impromptu performance of 'Shake It Off.' pic.twitter.com/0zudiLSQK4
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) June 25, 2025

It is worth noting that Kelce is a finalist for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. If he wins, he would be honored in person in San Francisco on the same night as the Tight End University event, which would increase the likelihood of his attendance.

In typical Kelce fashion, even when he is not active on the field, he is never far from the main event.

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

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