Over the past two years, there has been a growing level of speculation around Travis Kelce's retirement plans and what this means for the Kansas City Chiefs. It goes without saying that the legend has a roster spot as long as he wants to continue playing with the Chiefs. This leaves the door open for the 2027 season, and the early results this year have left a clear argument that Kelce staying around for a little longer is a very real possibility.
Kelce, through two games this season, has looked better than he has in a couple of years. The soon-to-be 37-year-old was KC's leading receiver in both games, finishing with three catches for 71 yards in game one, following this up with 101 yards on nine grabs and a touchdown in game two.
It's clear that the middle of the field and the passing game as a whole is opening up, due to the profound success Kenneth Walker III has found on the ground.
Getting a second life due to added support and a vastly improved running game makes a great deal of sense that there is legit reason to believe this may not be Kelce's swan song. Playing in the 2027 season went from seeming incredibly unlikely to a clear possibility, one Kansas City fans would welcome as dread continues to build around the star's potential retirement.
Travis Kelce's 2026 performance already pointing to likely return next season
The start to this season has made it clear that reports around KC's dynasty being gone were far from accurate. It doesn't come as a surprise to a fanbase that understands that any season Patrick Mahomes has been healthy has had a floor of the AFC Championship. Considering that last year was the outlier in every way, there isn't a viable reason to believe it is the standard moving forward.
If there was a moment Kelce should've retired, it was last year, as the pass catcher was asked to carry far too much and endured a miserable season. Now that the run game has been fixed and there is far less on the plate for him, a return next season makes far more sense.
Kansas City fans would gladly sign up for 2-3 more years of Kelce, understanding that his explosive ability might be declining, but he still possesses an elite ability to find ways to contribute in big moments. No doubt Patrick Mahomes would enjoy another year of throwing to the future first ballot Hall of Famer.
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