Andy Reid Drops Hint About Travis Kelce’s Retirement Timeline This Offseason

Kristen Wong | Jan 6, 2026

Chiefs coach Andy Reid shared his thoughts on Travis Kelce potentially retiring after the 2025 season. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The players are going to play, says Taylor Swift in one of her widely popular pop songs. But does that line still apply to Travis Kelce after he wrapped up his 13th season in the NFL?

Kelce has found himself the center of attention yet again this offseason with retirement looming on the horizon, closing out a disappointing 6-11 campaign with a bitter defeat to the Raiders. The Chiefs star briefly discussed his playing future after the game but couldn't say when he was going to make his retirement decision. "Who knows? Either it hits me quick, or I gotta take some time," Kelce told reporters.

His coach Andy Reid has since weighed in on the matter to share his personal view of Kelce's potential retirement timeline.

"We'll get to all that," Reid said Monday after Week 18's season finale loss. "Right now, you've got a little bit of time before all that stuff needs to take place. I'm not trying to avoid your question, but that's what's real right now. I know everybody wants an answer right this minute. But it's something that you've gotta go through, there's a lot of variables there. We all love Trav, and Trav can still play—I'm not questioning that part or any of it. ... I just know there's time."

Andy Reid talks about the possibility of Travis Kelce returning next season.#Chiefs l #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/fkvf8R1JMb

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Reid paid his respects to Kelce ahead of what could have been his final home game at Arrowhead (Week 17's loss to the Broncos) and saw him end the campaign on an individual high note, with Kelce becoming the fastest tight end ever to reach 13,000 career yards.

Last year, following the Chiefs' Super Bowl loss, Kelce shared that he was going to "take some time" before deciding whether or not he wanted to return.

"I’m gonna take some time to figure it out," Kelce said on New Heights. "And I think I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back that it’s gonna be a wholehearted decision and I’m not half-a--ing it, and I’m fully here for them."

He ended up unofficially sharing that he wanted to play for the Chiefs in 2025 roughly two weeks later. With the Chiefs' offseason right around the corner, Kelce's teammates have been nothing but supportive of him as he mulls over his second retirement decision in as many years:

"Aside from being an elite talent on the field, he's also just a great human being," Chiefs offensive lineman Creed Humphrey said of Kelce. "He's carried that torch for the past, how many years he's been here, whatever it is, 20 years."

Twenty NFL campaigns might be pushing it for the 36-year-old Kelce, but he could make it his 14th come next season. It looks like Chiefs fans will have to sit and wait a little longer before he makes his decision, though.

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