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As the days draw closer to the official start of the 2026 NFL season, Travis Kelce’s status with the Kansas City Chiefs remains a hot topic.
Kelce said he will let the Chiefs know if he will play in 2026 by the new league year to allow general manager Brett Veach and the rest of the franchise to make moves on the rest of the roster.
While speaking Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Veach was asked if he had ever heard from Kelce.
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Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on February 24, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
“Travis is the best,” Veach said, according to the New York Post. “He’s an icon. … We’re just going to let this process play out.”
Owner Clark Hunt also commented on Kelce earlier this offseason, saying the Chiefs would be respectful given his personal schedule with fiancée Taylor Swift.
“He has a pretty busy offseason with his engagement and his wedding, so we want to respect him and give him the time he needs to make a decision,” Hunt said in January. “But we certainly hope he comes back.”
The new league year begins March 11, when free agency officially opens at 4 p.m. However, the legal tampering period will begin at noon ET on March 9, when teams will be allowed to agree to the terms of free agent contracts with players.
Kelce is not under contract with the Chiefs, meaning the team will have to negotiate a new deal for him if he wants to return.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce leaves the field after a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl on February 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Retirement has been a conversation that has swirled around the future Hall of Fame tight end for a few years now, but it has come up every time. He may have hinted he would do the same during an episode of the “New Heights” podcast in which he discussed the team’s reunion with Eric Bieniemy, who will once again serve under head coach Andy Reid as offensive coordinator.
“I can’t wait to see him back in the building, man,” Kelce told his older brother, Jason. “He’s one of my favorite coaches of all time, one of my favorite people of all time. I’ve had so many incredible moments under him as a player, as a person and I love the guy.”
Did Kelce mean he was looking forward to seeing Bieniemy working together inside the building or looking outside?
It’s no surprise, however, that the Chiefs want their star tight end back in the building for one more tour, especially after a disappointing 2025 season that saw Patrick Mahomes tear an ACL late in the season.
General manager Brett Veach of the Kansas City Chiefs speaks to the media during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 24, 2026, in Indianapolis. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014 after finishing 6-11.
Veach has more to worry about than Kelce this offseason, however, as Kansas City finds itself in intriguing but unfamiliar territory with a top 10 NFL Draft pick (No. 9). There has been speculation another reunion could be in the works following Tyreek Hill’s release by the Miami Dolphins.
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