The Chiefs are out of playoff contention, and Travis Kelce has already admitted he hasn’t been himself this season. Add to that the retirement talk swirling around Kelce, and the team’s decision to leave Arrowhead Stadium after nearly 60 years, many are now wondering whether the star tight end could be playing his final home game in two days. Given the uncertainty of it all, there may be no better person to address the question than head coach Andy Reid himself.

“I don’t know if it is or not. I haven’t talked to him,” Reid said before Tuesday’s game, as reported by Insider Charles Goldman. 

Kelce, who is in the final year of his contract, declined to engage with retirement speculation when asked recently. He said he wanted to keep the focus on the team rather than his future. The topic, however, has lingered since last offseason.

Kelce previously revealed on his New Heights podcast that he contemplated retirement before deciding to return. He later said Kansas City’s blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX influenced that decision, explaining that he wanted to “give it a good run” instead of ending his career that way.

That run unfolded during the Chiefs’ worst season since 2012, a slide that was cemented last week when a loss to the Tennessee Titans officially guaranteed Reid’s first losing season in Kansas City. Kelce finished with 68 receptions for 803 yards and five touchdowns, production that marked a rebound from last year’s decline but still fell well short of the output from his peak years. The season also tied him with Jerry Rice for the most consecutive seasons with at least 800 receiving yards.

Kansas City is expected to evaluate its roster this offseason, and Kelce’s future is part of that process. The Chiefs still have two games remaining, against the Broncos on Christmas Day and the Las Vegas Raiders, but the context is broader than this. Kelce’s contract expires after the year, and any return would likely come on a short-term deal if both sides choose to continue.

The decision also comes at a transitional point in his personal life, with the 36-year-old recently becoming engaged to Taylor Swift and planning a wedding next summer. Earlier this season, Patrick Mahomes acknowledged the uncertainty, saying Kelce would “have the option to do whatever he wants to do after this season.”

Despite the lack of playoff stakes, Kelce committed to playing through the end of the schedule, something Reid pointed to when asked about his importance to the organization. “I think his numbers and personality and the person speak for themselves,” Reid said. “He’s a phenomenal person. He’s everything you want from a player representing an organization.”

Over 190 games with the franchise, Kelce has compiled 1,072 receptions for 12,954 yards and 82 touchdowns, building a résumé that includes three Super Bowl titles, seven first-team All-Pro selections, and 11 Pro Bowl nods. Drafted in the third round in 2013 out of Cincinnati, he has spent all 13 seasons of his career in Kansas City and has repeatedly said he would not play for any coach other than Reid. 

Whether this chapter ends now or extends one more year, the decision will come later in the offseason. While Kelce’s future remains unresolved, the franchise’s future at Arrowhead no longer is.

Chiefs commit to $3B stadium move away from Arrowhead

Earlier this week, the Chiefs announced that they will relocate across the Kansas–Missouri state line to build a new domed stadium with a targeted opening for the 2031 NFL season. 

The decision followed a unanimous vote by Kansas lawmakers to approve the use of STAR bonds to finance up to 70% of the stadium and surrounding mixed-use development. 

Chiefs owner Clark Hunt acknowledged the magnitude of the move while emphasizing continuity on the football side. “The location of Chiefs games will change,” Hunt said, “but some things won’t change,” pointing to the fan base, tailgating culture, and the organization’s competitive expectations. The stadium project is expected to cost roughly $3 billion, with Kansas officials committing billions in bond support and projecting tens of thousands of construction-related jobs.

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Missouri’s efforts to retain the team ultimately fell short. Jackson County voters rejected a sales tax extension last year that would have helped fund an $800 million renovation of Arrowhead, which the Chiefs had previously explored alongside the Royals. State leaders in Missouri said discussions about renovating or rebuilding Arrowhead continued as recently as last week, but the financing gap proved insurmountable.

The move will close a chapter that began in 1972, when the Chiefs first opened Arrowhead at the Truman Sports Complex. 

But for now, Arrowhead still stands, and no timelines have been accelerated. But as the Chiefs prepare to leave their longtime home in the coming years, moments like these become even more important amid Kelce’s undecided future.