Analyst explains why Chiefs should make controversial Travis Kelce decision

It was reported earlier this week that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is "leaning more toward" playing in 2025 after he previously hinted he could retire to go all-in on his off-the-field business endeavors. 

For a piece published Friday, NFL analyst Aaron Schatz of ESPN argued that the Chiefs should take matters out of Kelce's hands by releasing the future Hall of Famer this offseason.

"Cutting Kelce would cost the Chiefs only $2.5M in dead money while saving them over $17M on the salary cap," Schatz explained. "That's important with the Chiefs currently having negative effective cap space (i.e. the cap space that they would have after signing at least 51 players and a projected rookie class). And while Kelce still had some important catches in the postseason, his regular-season performance collapsed in 2024. Kelce ranked 38th out of 49 qualifying tight ends in receiving (defense-adjusted value over average), and he ranked dead last among tight ends in the ESPN receiver tracking metrics."

Some within the football community wondered this past fall if Kelce was no longer fully committed to giving his all to the Chiefs due to his much-publicized relationship with entertainment superstar Taylor Swift. Others directly said even before the 35-year-old finished the regular season with just three touchdown grabs that he had lost a step and was no longer in his prime. 

Nevertheless, Kelce did record team-highs of 97 receptions and 823 receiving yards. He may no longer be the best overall player at his position, but he can still contribute to a Super Bowl contender. 

The Chiefs reportedly want to know "around March 14" whether Kelce will retire because of when he is due an $11.5M roster bonus. By all accounts, his teammates want him to "give it one more go" with quarterback Patrick Mahomes allegedly preparing for "a revenge tour" coming off Kansas City's 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX back on Feb. 9.

While Schatz made some valid points, there's no indication the Chiefs will do anything but welcome Kelce back unless he decides he's had enough of being an active football player.