Following a painful loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs have plenty to think about in the offseason. Travis Kelce, for instance, doesn’t even know whether he’ll be back for the 2025 NFL season.

The veteran tight end, who turns 36 in October, is contemplating retirement after 12 years in the NFL. Losing Kelce would obviously be a huge blow for Reid and the Chiefs, who found in him the perfect partner for Patrick Mahomes all these years.

However, it appears that Kansas City wants him back on one condition: to accept a lesser role on the team. According to Nate Taylor of The Athletic, the Chiefs want to move forward with Kelce as a role player rather than their primary pass catcher.

The Athletic also reports that the Chiefs is giving Kelce until March 14 to make a decision about his future, as his $11.5 million non-guaranteed roster bonus is due on that date. Let’s keep in mind that the tight end still has a year left on the two-year, $34.25 million extension he signed in April 2024.

Travis Kelce admits that retiring before 2025 NFL season is a possibility

Speaking to his brother Jason on their ‘New Heights’ podcast after the Super Bowl LIX loss to the Eagles, Travis admitted that retirement is an option as he contemplates his future in the NFL this offseason.

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“I know everybody wants to know whether I’m playing next year and, right now, I’m just kicking everything down the road,” Kelce said. “I’m kicking every can I can down the road. I’m not making any crazy decisions.“

Without counting his rookie year in 2013, Kelce had career lows in receiving yards (823) and touchdowns (3) during the 2024 NFL season, where he logged 97 catches. In Super Bowl LIX, he was limited to four receptions for 39 yards.

Kelce wants to think it through before letting Reid, Chiefs know

Kelce noted a decreased role on the Chiefs this season, even if that wasn’t Reid or Mahomes’ intention. While the opponents used double coverages against the tight end, Father Time also started to knock on his door, with younger weapons stepping up in Kansas City.

“I think I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back, it’s going to be a whole-hearted decision,” Kelce explained. “I’m fully here for them and I think I could play. It’s just whether or not I’m motivated or it’s the best decision for me as a man, as a human and as a person to take on all of that responsibility.”

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Even as a blocker and with flashes of his prime years, Kelce did help the Chiefs make another Super Bowl run in 2024-25. Still, the tight end feels that all the battles from the last few years are already taking a toll.

“I’ve been fortunate over the past five, six years I’ve played more football than anybody. The fact that we keep going to these AFC championships and these Super Bowls, that means I’m playing an extra three games more than everybody else in the entire league. That’s a lot of wear and tear on your body.”