Chiefs Now Appear Ready To Welcome Back Kelce

Until Tuesday, Travis Kelce’s future with the Chiefs seemed mostly cloudy. But based on comments from Andy Reid and Brett Veach at the scouting combine, that future seemed to clear up in sunny fashion.

“How we left it at the end of the season is that he was fired up,” Veach told reporters in Indianapolis Tuesday afternoon, referring to his exit interview with Kelce after Kansas City’s Super Bowl loss. “He has one more year under contract. I still think he has that fire and desire to play.”

Reid said Kelce’s decision belongs to Kelce. The coach gave his tight end specific instructions in the wake of the emotional loss to the Eagles.

“Get out of town and relax,” Reid said. “That’s kind of my motto for these guys. They played a lot of games, and for a consistent amount of seasons here. So, you get to the end of the thing, you’ve exhausted yourself mentally and physically, step back and take care of that. Then, we’ll talk.

And when they talk, it might be a long conversation. Assuming Kelce indeed opts to return, would the Chiefs ask him to restructure his contract? While it now appears the Chiefs have no plans to terminate him in a salary-cap move, they certainly would appreciate a little breathing room to address the offensive-tackle position. Terminating Kelce would reportedly save the Chiefs $17 million.

Will Kelce agree to more of a specialized role in the offense, allowing Noah Gray to spread his wings? Kelce’s production diminished significantly in 2024. His 823 receiving yards, 8.5 yards per catch and three touchdown receptions were his lowest career totals since his 2013 rookie campaign.

One question Veach did answer was related to the timeline for Kelce’s decision: There is none. The general manager shot down rumors the Chiefs have given Kelce a March 14 deadline to give them his decision.

“As far as I’m concerned, there is no deadline,” Veach said. “I think we left it as he’d be back and we’re excited to get him back and get him going.”

There may not be a deadline for Kelce, but there’s a deadline for the Chiefs. They need to be in compliance with the salary cap by 3 p.m. CT on March 12, when the new league year begins. Two days later, Kelce’s current contract calls for an $11.5 million roster bonus.

And if Kansas City hasn’t reached agreement with a contract extension for Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith, the Chiefs need to know what they have in the bank. Reid also said Tuesday the Chiefs will return Joe Thuney to his guard position. That means Kansas City is expected to focus on upgrading the source of virtually all of the defensive pressure on Patrick Mahomes in 2024, offensive tackle.

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