Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has yet to announce his decision for retirement, but one insider believes he’s set to return for one final season.
Will Compton, a former NFL player and friend of the longtime Chiefs star, took to social media to share his prediction for the future. While he didn’t appear to be sharing any inside information, Compton predicted that the call of the field would be too strong for Kelce to resist.
Fellow NFL Pro Predicts Travis Kelce’s Future
In a post on X, Compton said he believed Kelce would come back to avenge the team’s disappointing 2025 season, when they fell short of the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.
“I bet Travis Kelce runs it back with the Chiefs for one more year,” Compton wrote on X on Friday. “Everything waiting for him will still be there. He isn’t ending his career 6-11, 3rd in the division, the laughing stock of the NFL, & seeing the dynasty he helped build continue to burn. He can’t go out like that.”
As the New York Post noted, Kelce has given Compton some insight into his future before. In an appearance on Compton’s “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast last year, Kelce was asked about his future in the NFL and said he couldn’t look too far forward.
“I’m focused on this one,” Kelce said then. “I don’t know what next year is going to feel like. I don’t know what I’m going to feel like in March or April next year when I make that decision.”
Kelce has not given much more insight this year, saying only that he wanted to take the proper time on his decision. The future Hall of Famer does have some other big events on the horizon, with reports that he and fiancee Taylor Swift are tying the knot in June.
Chiefs Want Strong Commitment From Travis Kelce
While Kelce has yet to publicly announce his plans for the coming season, the Chiefs reportedly have a request if he does decide to return — they want him to be all-in.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that the team has been in contact with Kelce and want to make sure he feels a full commitment to the team.
“Do the Kansas City Chiefs need a tight end? The future of Travis Kelce still very much up in the air,” Rapoport said. “Obviously, there’s plenty of discussion. General manager Brett Veach talking to reporters saying they really wanted to allow Travis Kelce to go through is process to make absolutely sure he’s going to return for the 2026 season. As of right now, that has not been fully determined.”
If Kelce does opt for retirement, it would create a new need for a Chiefs team already facing other question marks on offense. It is not clear if quarterback Patrick Mahomes will recover from his torn ACL and LCL in time to start the season, and receiver Rashee Rice faces a potential suspension after being accused of domestic assault by a former partner.
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