While Travis Kelce seriously considered retirement last year, he decided to return for a 14th season and sign what’s essentially a one-year, $12 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Two games into the 2026 NFL season, the 11-time Pro Bowler has already quieted detractors who thought he’d return out of shape and unfocused following his star-studded wedding to Taylor Swift this summer.
He’s registered 12 catches for a team-high 172 receiving yards and a touchdown. Kelce broke the all-time league record for yards after catch.
Kelce has not announced whether this will be his final season in the NFL, but many analysts are preparing for this to be his swan song.
ESPN host Troy Aikman, who interviewed the 36-year-old superstar before the Chiefs’ Week 1 win over the Denver Broncos, left their chat with a confident prediction about the tight end’s future.
Troy Aikman ‘Can’t Imagine’ Travis Kelce Won’t Head into a Very Lucrative Broadcasting Career
During an appearance on the Sports Media with Richard Deistch podcast earlier this week, Aikman addressed whether Kelce has any desire to go into “conventional broadcasting” after marrying Swift.
Kelce already wears many hats off the football field. He became an investor and strategic partner for Sleep Number and signed on as the new brand ambassador for Six Flags. His Tommy Hilfiger campaign, which included an appearance by the famous couple’s dog, Wendy, debuted just before the 2026 NFL season. Kelce acts in movies, TV, hosts reality game shows, and produces films.
Despite a world of options at his feet, “It sounds like he wants to do television,” Aikman said. “I can’t imagine that he won’t. And I think there’s going to be a line-up of suitors for his talents, and then it’s just a matter of what exactly does he want that to look like.
“Does he actually want to call games in the booth? Is he going to be in studio? Does he maybe want to have a limited schedule where he can still travel and watch his wife perform from time to time?”
Aikman, who attended Kelce and Swift’s nuptials at Madison Square Garden, gushed over how likable and talented the Chiefs star is. “The sky’s the limit for him,” Aikman added.
The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback isn’t the first person to assume Kelce will become a highly sought-after sportscaster. Before announcing his return to play for the 2026 NFL season, The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand predicted Kelce could demand “anywhere from $10 million to $20 million” a year as a broadcaster.
Travis Kelce & Jason Kelce’s ‘New Heights’ Podcast Raked in $35 Million Last Year
As Deistch mentions, the landscape of opportunities looks very different from when Aikman retired, and Kelce’s podcast, “New Heights,” is already a huge success.
Forbes released its list of “The Highest Paid Podcasters of 2026” on July 30, and “New Heights” ranked No. 7 overall, with $35 million earned between June 2025 and June 2026.
However, the success of “New Heights” didn’t stop Kelce’s brother, Jason Kelce, from taking a network gig. Jason reportedly signed a three-year, $24 million broadcasting deal with ESPN after retiring from the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024.
Chiefs Star Travis Kelce Predicted to Make $20 Million Career Move