Chiefs Star Travis Kelce Postpones Retirement, Signs $12M Deal for 14th Season

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has officially signed a one-year, $12 million contract to return for his 14th NFL season. The 36-year-old All-Pro decided to delay retirement for another shot at championship glory alongside quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Star tight end Travis Kelce has officially committed to another season with the Kansas City Chiefs, signing a contract that brings him back to catch passes from quarterback Patrick Mahomes once again.

The Chiefs confirmed Wednesday that they’ve secured the four-time All-Pro for his 14th NFL campaign as the new league year began and pending agreements became official. The 36-year-old veteran chose to postpone retirement plans and extend his outstanding career, which features three Super Bowl championships, rather than conclude on last season’s disappointing 6-11 finish.

Kelce’s one-year agreement is valued at $12 million, with performance bonuses potentially increasing the total compensation to $15 million.

“You always need to take a step back, breathe and let the emotions of the season settle down and see where the body is,” Kelce explained during his Tuesday visit to “The Pat McAfee Show.” “Man, I’m still in love with this game. I still love going to work, putting on the pads, grinding it out and just playing the game.”

The veteran pass-catcher had expressed his preference for staying in Kansas City dating back to the NFL scouting combine if he chose to continue playing.

“My best opportunity was playing for the Chiefs yet again and running this thing back,” Kelce explained. “There’s a lot of pieces in Kansas City that I just absolutely love and I can’t wait to get back in the building with them.”

Kelce revealed that his fiancee, global music sensation Taylor Swift, influenced his choice to continue his football career.

“We share the same love for what we do, and fortunately we’ve had this desire since we were kids in our selective professions,” Kelce explained. “It’s amazing to see her keep going to the table, keep finding new things to write about, keep finding new melodies and, on top of that, still seeing her have that love and joy in what she does.

“Of course that’s motivating. That’s motivating for anybody to see, let alone my fiancée, knowing that I’m going through something where I’m trying to figure out exactly what the future holds for me.”

For the Chiefs organization, the opportunity to retain Kelce meant he could continue working under head coach Andy Reid and alongside close friend Mahomes — who aims to be healthy for the season opener following late-season knee surgery for a torn ligament.

The prospect of reuniting with Eric Bieniemy, who has returned as Kansas City’s offensive coordinator following Matt Nagy’s departure, also appealed to Kelce.

Kansas City’s front office was willing to allow Kelce the necessary time for his decision while hoping for resolution by the start of the new league year to establish budget parameters for free agency and roster planning before the NFL draft.

“I think we’ve kind of taken a different approach with Travis in the sense that we’ve prepared for either scenario,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach stated at last month’s scouting combine. “Coach (Reid) had mentioned he’s had great dialogue with Travis. On our end, myself, (assistant general manager) Chris Shea and Travis’ crew, we’ve had some good dialogue there.

“Travis is the best, he’s an icon and hopefully he comes back and we’ll just let that process play out.”

Retirement thoughts first surfaced for Kelce before the previous season began, but he quickly determined he didn’t want his career ending with a Super Bowl defeat to Philadelphia. He intensified his offseason training regimen and returned in peak physical condition, ultimately recording 76 receptions for 851 yards and five touchdowns last season.

Questions remain about whether Kelce can maintain that production level as he approaches his 37th birthday in October.

“The biggest thing coming back was that we’ve got to be even more hungrier than we’ve been before. Talking to Pat and Coach Reid and the guys, it’s pretty (evident) there’s a lot of ‘dog’ mentality right now to get this thing fixed,” Kelce said. “That mentality itself is already motivating me to get to where I need to be during the season.”