Travis Kelce Opens Up About His Decision To Return In 2026

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Mar 10, 2026 1:40 PM ET

In a move that was only slightly overshadowed during Monday's free agency frenzy, tight end Travis Kelce reached a deal with the Chiefs to return for a 14th season.

Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show today, Kelce said that in spite of what everyone has said, he still loves playing football and believes that with Brett Veach as the Chiefs' GM and Andy Reid as the head coach that the team can win another Super Bowl this year. He praised Veach and Reid for successfully recruiting Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker to the team for the 2026 season.

“Making another run at it and the Chiefs are making moves,” Kelce said. “We’ve got Brett Veach and Andy Reid going and getting the Super Bowl MVP.”

"We hear ALL the noise" ~ @tkelce #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/dAnCttAjkV
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 10, 2026

But Kelce also acknowledged that he and the veterans on the team need to "hunker down" and get better. He said that the team needs to get hungrier and use that mentality in the gym and on the playing field.

“I need to get back into the gym and hunker down and get back to the craft,” Kelce said. “We’ve got to be even hungrier than we were before... There’s a lot of dog mentality right now to get this thing fixed.”

Dec 25, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) after the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images© Denny Medley-Imagn Images.

The Chiefs in 2026

2025 was the worst year for the Chiefs in over a decade. It was their first time since 2017 that they even missed the AFC Championship Game.

Injuries and poor play affected the team across the board though Kelce himself still stood out with 76 receptions for 851 yards and five touchdowns. While those numbers were still rock solid for a tight end, it still marked another year of declining ability and production from him.

Kelce will be turning 37 during the 2026 season and the division they play in is only getting tougher and harder to win outright.

If this really is Kelce's last ride in the NFL, he and everyone else on the team need to bring their A-game every single week.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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