Reports emerged on Thursday indicating that Travis Kelce is set to return for another NFL season, and it appears those reports are indeed correct. Although Kelce has not made a public statement regarding his decision, a post on the X page for his podcast with brother Jason Kelce announced that Travis will be back in 2025 for his 13th season. The post read, “From the desk of @tkelce: IT’S TIME FOR YEAR 13,” and mentioned that a “full breakdown” of his decision would be shared in next week’s episode.
Accompanying the post was a video clip from the iconic scene in “Wolf of Wall Street,” where Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Jordan Belfort, defiantly declares he is “not f—ing leaving.” In the video, Kelce’s face is superimposed over DiCaprio’s, while the faces of Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Jason Kelce, general manager Brett Veach, and owner Clark Hunt are placed on the characters representing Belfort’s colleagues.
Pat McAfee hinted that he had communicated with Kelce via text, sharing, “‘My dog!!! I’m coming back for sure. Going to try and get into the best shape I’ve been this offseason and get back to the mountaintop.’ He expressed a strong desire to improve after feeling dissatisfied with his performance in the last game.” NFL Network also confirmed that Kelce would be returning.
With Kelce’s anticipated return for a 13th season, the Chiefs can proceed with their offseason plans without needing to make significant additions at the tight end position. While Kelce may not have been the offensive powerhouse he once was, he still had a productive season last year, recording 97 catches for 823 yards and three touchdowns—his lowest yardage and touchdown totals over a full season. In the Chiefs’ AFC divisional round victory against the Houston Texans, Kelce showcased his skills with a standout performance, catching seven passes for 117 yards and a touchdown. However, during the Chiefs’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the recent Super Bowl, he managed only four receptions for 39 yards, all occurring after the outcome was already determined.
Kelce had previously been open about contemplating retirement following the Super Bowl, with speculation that the game’s result could influence his decision. Among tight ends in NFL history, Kelce ranks third in receptions (1,004), third in receiving yards (12,151), and fifth in touchdowns (77).
