Stafford’s MVP Audience Thursday Included Critical Chiefs Player

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – With the Chiefs’ tight end watching only a short throw away, Matthew Stafford beat Travis Kelce to the punch.

Flanked by his daughters at the end of NFL Honors on Thursday night, Stafford accepted the MVP award, then offered this.

“I am so happy to have you at the games,” he said Thursday, “on the sideline with me, and I can't wait for you to cheer me on next year when we're out there kicking ass. And so, I'll see you guys next year. Hopefully, I'm not at this event and we're getting ready for another game at SoFi.”

That game scheduled for SoFi Stadium is Super Bowl 61. Could it feature a 37-year-old Kelce against a 39-year-old Stafford? One thing’s for certain after Stafford’s surprise announcement, which fired up Sean McVay, Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams: Kelce now has to be creative if he announces a return.

Kelce's 2025 announcement

Last year, Kelce’s announcement was fairly anticlimactic. Two weeks after the Super Bowl blowout, before the end of February, Pat McAfee announced Kelce’s return by reading a text from the tight end on his ESPN show.

This year is much different, though. Last February, the sour taste Kelce sought to wash from his mouth came from a big Super Bowl loss. Some thought he made his decision in Stafford-like timing, almost immediately.

taylor swif — Aug 28, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; The main scoreboard during the first half between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Ohio Bobcats at SHI Stadium congratulating Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce on their marriage engagement. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

This February, after missing the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, Kelce’s had a lot more time to think. That’s good, because he has a few more things on his mind. He’ll wed Taylor Swift in June and he’s weighing a post-playing career that will probably pay him a lot more than the Chiefs.

Plus, last season he had a contract. Assuming he opts to return for his 14th season in the NFL, he needs a new deal. That leaves open the possibility, although nearly unthinkable, of Kelce returning to the NFL but playing for another team.

brett favr — Dec 20, 2010; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre (4) during the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at TCF Bank Stadium. The Bears defeated the Vikings 40-14.Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images | Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images

Plenty of legends have done it but this situation seems wildly different. A Kelce return to the league means Kelce back in a Chiefs uniform, although Kansas City’s front office has a lot of uphill accounting to fit him under the salary cap on a new one-year deal.

The other factor in Kelce’s return is that he has no shortage of advice, from his brother to others who’ve weighed their own retirement.

“You never put on another helmet,” Michael Strahan told Kelce on New Heights last week, “you never put on another pair of shoulder pads, you never slide those pants on with the knee pads and thigh pads. You never tape your wrist again. It's final.”

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