Likely or Not, Kelce Could Have Million Reasons To Leave Chiefs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Brett Favre ended his career with the Minnesota Vikings. Joe Montana stopped in Kansas City before entering the Hall of Fame.

Could Travis Kelce actually sign with another team? Before joining Favre and Montana in Canton, Step 1 is Kelce committing to a 14th year in the league. And because he’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in three weeks, Step 2 is committing to re-signing with the Chiefs.

travis kelce, alex smit — Feb 13, 2026; Pebble Beach, California, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (left) and NFL former quarterback Alex Smith (right) on the 10th hole during the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Storm could be approaching

The ominous clouds on the horizon are the result of Kelce’s valuation, which according to Over the Cap is approximately $13.6 million annually. Whether the tight end and the Chiefs can reach common ground isn’t exactly a slam dunk. Analyst Jeffri Chadiha isn’t optimistic.

“No, at that number,” Chadiha said on Friday’s edition of the Red, Gold & Bold podcast. “He's had a phenomenal career. He's a Hall of Famer, one of the top three tight ends of all-time. You can even argue he's the best. But at this stage, they got to start moving forward with this team.

“And to spend that kind of money on the tight end, the only way, thinking about Travis Kelce, is if that number is under $10 million. I just think it's time for this offense to move forward. If he's here, Mahomes is going to look for him. Other guys need to develop, and will be developing, and that's a huge price to pay for a player who probably at best has one year left.”

kelce, mahome — Nov 16, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) celebrates his touchdown with quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) and tight end Robert Tonyan (85) in the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Capitalism could lead another team to poision Chiefs' waters

Odds are likely the Chiefs already have a negotiation strategy, assuming they agree with Chadiha, perhaps a base salary with incentives that could get Kelce closer to that $13 million valuation. The problem is capitalism.

Assuming he plays another season, Kelce is free to sign with any team at the highest price. And that could make for a scary period of time with an uncertain landing spot.

kelce, worth — Nov 27, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) celebrate after a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Bad strategy

And if the Chiefs do indeed return Kelce in 2026, as most expect, Kelce can’t be the Chiefs’ leading receiver for a fifth consecutive year, especially in a season when he turns 37.

According to Kansas City Star columnist Sam McDowell, only one tight end in league history has topped 529 receiving yards in an age-37 season: Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez in his final NFL campaign had 859 with the Falcons.

tony gonzale — Dec 29, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez (88) on the bench in the fourth quarter of the game against the Carolina Panthers during the second half at the Georgia Dome. The Panthers defeated the Falcons 21-20. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Atlanta that season had a 1,000-yard receiver, Harry Douglas, to take pressure off of Gonzalez and his quarterback, Matt Ryan. The Chiefs haven’t had a 1,000-yard wide receiver since Tyreek Hill’s final Kansas City season, 2021.

Kelce has been the Chiefs’ best and most consistent option over the last two seasons, and that’s a major reason they’ve struggled so much offensively. They need to invest money in more playmakers in order to move forward, rather than continuing to do the same thing.

“I do think he learned his lesson,” McDowell said on the podcast, “as far as the difference of having your body prepared versus not having your body prepared. You would get the better version of him in that sense. But this would make him a top-five-paid tight end.”

McDowell said he doesn’t see another team in a similar tight-cap situation outbidding the Chiefs if Kansas City were to offer, for example, $7 million annually.

“The other thing is Tony Gonzalez was always going to age well,” McDowell said, “because his catch radius was huge. That changes less than your speed and your ability to move and wiggle and get open, and your ability to move after the catch, which has always been the elite strength that Travis Kelce has had his whole career.”

kelce rei — Dec 24, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid fist bumps tight end Travis Kelce (87) after a score against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Indeed, Kelce has averaged an impressive 5.2 yards after the catch per reception over his 13 NFL seasons. In 2025, he posted his best number in three years, 5.6.

But most people are in agreement, if the Chiefs are going to return to their production of four years ago, during Eric Bieniemy’s first stint as offensive coordinator, they can’t continue to depend on Kelce for their most production in the passing game. Chadiha said the Chiefs need to adopt more of a Falcons philosophy, when Gonzalez wasn’t their leading producer.

“That's what he needs to be on this team,” Chadiha said, referring to Kelce. “And you have to wonder how a diminished Patrick Mahomes will lean on him even more if he's not as mobile as he used to be. If the other receivers aren’t opening up, it could be a huge problem.”

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