A week after confirming he would return for a 13th NFL season, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce explained his decision to come back on Wednesday.
Speaking with brother Jason Kelce on their “New Heights” podcast, the 10-time Pro Bowler Kelce said he believes he can contribute even more to the Chiefs than he did last season.
“I still feel like I can play at a high level and possibly at a higher level than I did last year,” Kelce said. “I don’t think it was my best outing. I think I let my guys down in a lot more moments than I helped them.”
Though Kansas City reached the Super Bowl for the third straight year in 2025, Kelce didn’t reach his typically high standard. He finished the regular season with the fewest receiving yards (823), touchdowns (3) and yards per reception (8.5) of his career, excluding his rookie year when he played in only one game.
In the postseason, Kelce caught only one touchdown, his lowest total since 2018.
“Especially if you look at my track record and how I’ve been in years past. I want to give it a good run,” Kelce said about one of his motivations to return. “I have a bad taste in my mouth in how I ended the year and how well I was playing and how accountable I was for the people around me.”
Kelce also said the Chiefs’ 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59 was “probably the biggest factor” in his decision to return, calling the defeat an “all-time low.”
In that game, Kelce had only four catches for 39 yards, his lowest total in his five Super Bowl appearances.
Kelce has been a major component of Kansas City’s success over the last six seasons, which has resulted in five Super Bowl appearances and three championships.
Kelce holds the NFL record for playoff receptions and 100-yard games, and the Super Bowl record for receptions.
From 2016-2022, Kelce had seven straight 1,000-yard seasons, which is the longest streak of 1,000-yard seasons for a tight end in NFL history. He also has the most 1,000-yard seasons for a tight end.
Due to his individual success, the Chiefs’ team success, and his relationship with pop star Taylor Swift, Kelce has also achieved celebrity off the football field. Last year, he hosted a game show on Amazon Prime and had a guest starring role in an FX drama.
Kelce is signed with Kansas City for one more season, though he declined to say on “New Heights” whether the upcoming year will be his last in the NFL.
“I feel like there’s a responsibility in me to play out the contract that I initially signed, to give Kansas City and the Chiefs organization everything that I got, and that’s what I’m gonna do, man,” Kelce said.
He later added: “I can’t say whether or not this is going to be the last year because I still love a lot of what I do for the city of Kansas City and the Chiefs organization.”
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