Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is watching the playoffs from home for the first time in a decade. The Chiefs failed to reach the postseason after finishing 6-11, the worst record of Kelce’s career.
Despite the team’s disappointing finish, Kelce performed well enough to earn his 11th Pro Bowl honor. He concluded the season with 76 receptions for 851 yards and five touchdowns. Kelce averaged 11.2 yards per catch, higher than his career average.
The 36-year-old, however, will not be participating in the Pro Bowl, a flag football game in San Francisco ahead of Super Bowl LX on February 3. Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid will serve as his replacement.
HeavyTravis Kelce contemplates his future in the NFL after the Chiefs’ loss to the Raiders on January 4, 2026.
While Kelce opted out of the Pro Bowl, it remains unclear whether he plans to retire or return for one more season. The All-Pro is officially a free agent and needs to sign a new contract in order to remain in Kansas City. While fans and analysts dig for clues as to which way Kelce is leaning, a video the Chiefs posted on January 23 immediately raised some eyebrows.
Patrick Mahomes Reposted The Chiefs’ Video Featuring Travis Kelce Discussing Eric Bieniemy
The Chiefs posted a throwback video featuring Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Kelce on Friday and wrote, “Running this thing like Eric Bieniemy’s back 🫳🎤.”
Kelce asks Mahomes in a clip from training camp in 2020, “If there was one person on the team that you could pick as your best friend — you can only pick one, who would it be?”
“Eric Bieniemy,” Mahomes answers.
Kelce, Mahomes’ best friend in real life, commends the “good pick” before proceeding to rap his version of Lil Wayne’s 2007 “Live From the 504” track — “Where the enemies at? Running this thing like Eric Bieniemy’s back.”
Fans strongly react to the Chiefs using this video and that caption to celebrate Bieniemy’s return and what that might insinuate.
One fan commented, “Now just admit kelce is back.” One woman wrote, “I look forward to seeing the return of Eric, Patrick and Travis. ❤️🏈.” Another fan added, “wow he is coming back huh.”
Travis Kelce Is Hyped for Eric Bieniemy to Return to the Chiefs
GettyThe Chiefs are bringing Eric Bieniemy back to be their new offensive coordinator.
On the latest episode of his “New Heights” podcast, Kelce gushed over the Chiefs bringing back Eric Bieniemy, who worked as their running backs coach from 2013 to 2017 before becoming offensive coordinator, a role he held from 2018 to 2022.
Bieniemy most recently worked as the Chicago Bears‘ running backs coach this past season.
“I think it’s great,” Kelce said. “I think it’s a marriage that’s gonna pick up right where it left off. E.B., he and who he is as a coach, you can see kind of his personality, what he brings to the table in that Chicago team.
“I know (Bears head coach) Ben Johnson has his own version of that. He’s a very tough guy. And what he did in Detroit, he brought over as well. And you can see those running backs over in Chicago and their body of work was definitely an Eric Bieniemy style of football, man.
“I can’t wait to see him back in the building, man. He’s one of my favorite coaches of all-time, one of my favorite people of all time.”
Video of Travis Kelce Turns Heads Amid Retirement Speculation