After the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 15 loss officially ended their playoff hopes, retirement talk around Travis Kelce has only intensified. The veteran tight end is in the final year of his contract, engaged to popstar Taylor Swift, and thriving off the field as a podcast co-host. So, does football still top his list? NFL Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez doesn’t think the answer is that simple.

Tony Gonzalez retired at 37, around the same age Travis Kelce is now. So, he knows exactly what this moment in his football career feels like for Kelce. As such, recently, on the recent episode of the Dan Patrick Show, he made it clear that Kelce faces a massive decision ahead.  

“I think right now he’s [Travis Kelce] got a big decision to make,” Tony Gonzalez said. “Obviously, he can still play. He’s still putting up numbers. He’s getting it done, and it ain’t what it used to be, and everybody knows that. But I think for him it’s also, ‘What do you come back for?’ You have to look at that.” 

That question posed by Tony Gonzalez hits hard. Travis Kelce has spent 13 seasons with the Chiefs. He’s broken franchise records, won three Super Bowl rings, and already built a Hall of Fame résumé. So what’s left to chase? Gonzalez ultimately questioned whether there will be enough on the table to justify another grind-heavy season for Kelce. 

Gonzalez believes that the Chiefs’ TE now has to zoom out and look at the bigger picture. But the situation in Kansas City only complicates things further.

“I mean, obviously, the quarterback going down with Pat [Mahomes], are they rebuilding now? Probably heading towards that way,” said Gonzalez. “It’s a tough decision, but for him, what an amazing career. And, if I were in his situation, I don’t know what I would do.”

That rebuild talk regarding the Chiefs did not come out of nowhere. Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL in the recent Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He underwent successful surgery the next day and is all set to start rehab. Still, losing your franchise QB for the season changes everything. For Travis Kelce, that reality could heavily influence what comes next.

The final three games of the season won’t change Kansas City’s fate. But Travis Kelce has made it clear they still matter. In fact, he sees them as a foundation for what could be a reset year for the Chiefs next.

“Things, when you need them the most, just weren’t falling for us, and you’ve got to go back to the drawing board, and we got three games left,” Travis Kelce said recently on his New Heights podcast. “I know we’re still talking about this game, but the integrity of who you are as a professional, as a player, you got to love this. And Chiefs Kingdom, we’re going to give you everything we got… and keep trying to get these things fixed and end on the highest note that we can.”

That mindset matters for the Chiefs. But, so does their NFL Draft positioning. Right now, the Chiefs are projected to hold the 12th overall pick. That could improve depending on how these final weeks play out. And if the Chiefs want to rebuild the right way, they will need some major help on the offensive side. Running back, wide receiver, tight end… the list is long. But it all circles back to whether Travis Kelce will still be a part of that rebuild plan.

Will Travis Kelce be a part of the Chiefs’ rebuild plan for next season?

Statistically, this season has not been vintage Travis Kelce. Even though he caught seven passes for 70 yards against the Chargers recently, overall, his production has dipped this season. So far, he has recorded only 797 yards and five touchdowns as he failed to make big plays this season. In Week 14 against the Houston Texans, he even dropped passes on back-to-back drives while the Chiefs were trailing.

Does that mean Travis Kelce is done? Not necessarily. But it does force reflection. The 36-year-old has to weigh his future after he saw his quarterback go down for the season, and now his team has to transition towards rebuilding. It’s worth remembering that just days ago, Kelce talked about following his brother Jason Kelce’s path into retirement. And recently, even Jason chimed in with some public advice of his own on the matter.

“In my opinion, to nail that [retirement] decision, you’ve got to step away from the game for a little bit,” Jason said this week on ESPN’s Monday Night Football. “Play these last three games, enjoy them with your teammates, enjoy that with your coaches. The team’s going to be different whether you come back or not next year. So, enjoy these last three games and then let it sink in. It’ll come to you with time.”

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It’s solid advice from Jason. And there’s something poetic about how this could end for Travis Kelce. He missed the playoffs in his rookie season in 2014. And now, more than a decade later, he could exit the same way. However, for now, with the Chiefs in rebuilding mode, Kelce is all locked in to finish the season on the highest note.