While the entire Chiefs fanbase was concerned about Travis Kelce‘s future with the team after their tough loss in Super Bowl LIX, Patrick Mahomes never lost a second of sleep over this subject. The quarterback has known Kelce for the past nine years; they have developed a brotherly bond over this time. Mahomes kept any questions or reservations he had regarding Kelce’s future to himself.

There were rumors of Travis Kelce considering retirement during the season. The tight end turns 36 this year, and that is right around the age that most players at the position tend to retire or already have. Kelce did not address the topic of his retirement early on during the season, either. The tight end continued to put his head down and focus on leading the Chiefs to a three-peat.

Despite a slow start to the season, Kelce managed to pick up and went back to playing consistently in the postseason. Unfortunately, the Chiefs did not make history as the Eagles dominated them 40-22. This prompted more rumors surrounding Kelce’s retirement. After all, the tight end has achieved all that he can and is a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Mahomes recently revealed that he and Kelce never spoke of his future intent because he wanted to give the tight end adequate time and space to arrive at that decision by himself.

After 12 seasons in the NFL, Travis Kelce is at a stage in his career where his future will consistently be a subject of interest to the media and fans. Rob Gronkowski retired at the age of 33, Tony Gonzalez played until he was 37, and considering Kelce is 35, he is at that point in his career where fans would not be surprised if he were to hang up his cleats.

The tight end position demands extreme physicality. This factor has resulted in most tight ends beginning to decline post the age of 30. An estimated 91.8% of the peak seasons of a tight end’s career take place before the age of 32.

Unfortunately, Kelce’s slow start to the 2024 season did not do him any favors. His regular season numbers for the year added fire to the speculation that he would walk away before his numbers decline further.

Kelce ended his seven-year streak of recording 1,000+ receiving yards each year in 2023. The tight end fell 16 yards short of the achievement. This season, however, Kelce has fallen 177 yards short of the achievement. His production on the same number of receptions has come down. He finished this year with 823 yards and 3 touchdowns on 97 receptions.

Fortunately for Mahomes, his most-trusted star on offense will be returning for his 13th season in the NFL.

Mahomes concluded by assuring fans that Travis Kelce is locked in and intends to play better than last season. The Chiefs will hope to recreate the regular season magic they did during the 2024-25 season. Only this time, the team will hope to cap off the season with a Super Bowl win.