Arrowhead Stadium’s Christmas game this year will hit different, as rumors are flying around tight end Travis Kelce’s retirement. The Kansas City Chiefs will be ready to play their final home game of the season against the Denver Broncos, but the question remains: will this be the last time the tight end sets foot in Arrowhead? Head coach Andy Reid had his say.

While speaking with reporters, Andy Reid, who has been the only coach Kelce has played under in his professional career, commended the 36-year-old but admitted that he had not spoken to Kelce:

“I don’t know if it is or not. I haven’t talked to him,” Reid said. “His numbers and personality and the person, I think, speak for themselves. Phenomenal person, great for the community, has been great for the community. He’s everything you know you want from a player representing an organization.”

Furthermore, Kelce, who signed a two-year extension worth approximately $34 million in 2024, is in the final year of his contract. Another factor that has led fans to speculate about Kelce’s retirement is that he himself revealed he had contemplated retirement before deciding to return.

The Chiefs’ blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX was a driving factor in the decision. But Kelce wanted to “give it a good run” instead of ending his career that way.

Both Reid and the Chiefs hold Kelce in high regard. This franchise nominated him for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for the second consecutive year.

With a 6-9 record this season, the team sits in third place in the AFC West and 10th overall in the AFC. Furthermore, Andy Reid’s team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. Despite the team’s underwhelming performance, Kelce posted some substantial numbers. The tight end is recording 68 receptions for 803 yards.

While nobody is sure about Kelce’s retirement, he opened up about the topic in a conversation with ESPN in November.

Travis Kelce on his retirement plans

Having entered his final year of the contract, Kelce’s retirement will depend on plenty of decisions. The 36-year-old got engaged to pop star Taylor Swift in August. Furthermore, he refused a farewell tour and gave a timeline of his retirement decision in November:

“I want to give the Chiefs a good opportunity, whether I come back or not — or whether they want me back or not,” Kelce said. “I’d like to make that decision before they have to get draft picks and free agency opens to fill the roster appropriately. All that will be at the end of the season. I won’t be thinking about it until then.”