Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid isn’t ready to put an expiration date on Travis Kelce’s career.
Kelce opened the 2026 season with three catches for 71 yards in the Chiefs’ 31-10 victory over the Denver Broncos on “Monday Night Football.” His biggest play was a 59-yard catch-and-run, his longest reception in five years.
The performance came amid continued questions about how much longer Kelce, who turns 37 in October, intends to play. Kelce has not announced plans to retire, and Reid made it clear after the victory that he liked what he saw from his veteran tight end.
“Kelce, he dusted it off, right? Three for 71 yards. Pretty good for an old man that people look crosseyed at,” Reid told reporters after the game.
The 59-yard gain wasn’t Kelce’s only contribution. He also caught a six-yard pass to convert a third down as Kansas City opened the season with a win over the reigning AFC West champions.
Andy Reid Isn’t Ready to Put a Timeline on Travis Kelce’s Career
Reid had already addressed Kelce’s future before the season began.
Athlon Sports’ Craig Ellenport asked Reid a few weeks before the opener who would retire first if he had to “bet a cheeseburger” — the 68-year-old coach or Kelce.
“Oh, my goodness,” Reid said. “How about if I just stay in the middle? How about if we both go out together? How’s that?”
The idea would bring a fitting symmetry to their time in Kansas City. The Chiefs hired Reid in January 2013 following his 14 seasons as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Three months later, Kansas City selected Kelce in the third round of the NFL draft.
Reid and Kelce have since spent 13 seasons together, reaching five Super Bowls and winning three.
Reid, however, isn’t suggesting their time together is about to end. He still has three seasons remaining on his contract and pointed to Kelce’s offseason preparation when discussing the tight end’s future.
“Yeah, so I’ve still got a few years on this contract,” Reid said.
“Travis, he came back in phenomenal shape,” Reid continued. “So I know people have said it’s his last year and all this, but he has looked great.
“And as long as he can keep that up and go, we might be able to check out together down the road there.”
Travis Kelce Makes His Own Feelings Clear on Retirement
Kelce has also pushed back against the idea that he has already decided when he will retire.
During an interview with Chris Berman that aired on “Good Morning America,” Kelce admitted he’s “still kinda sitting here like, ‘I don’t wanna let this thing go.'”
Kelce married Taylor Swift during the offseason, adding another major chapter to his life away from football. But when it comes to his NFL career, he told Berman he still believes he can compete at the level the Chiefs need.
He said he wants “to keep playing until the wheels fall off.”
“I still have the desire to go out there and compete, and I still think I can compete at a high level,” Kelce said.
“I love this game so much that I’m not ready to go into that next phase yet,” he added.
Andy Reid Addresses ‘Old Man’ Travis Kelce Retirement Talk After Chiefs’ Win Over Broncos