Travis Kelce told Chiefs GM after Week 18 ‘let's plan on me being here’ for 2026 season

Travis Kelce received his emotional ovation from Kansas City Chiefs fans after their Week 17 game at Arrowhead Stadium. A week later, following the season-finale loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, the veteran tight end told reporters that regarding the decision about his NFL future, his choice would either hit him quick or he would need to take time.

Apparently, the decision to re-sign in Kansas City was a quick one for Kelce who, following Week 18, informed general manager Brett Veach that he was planning to return for the 2026 season.

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In an interview with SiriusXM NFL radio on Wednesday, Veach said that within 24 hours of that final game against the Raiders he knew Kelce would be part of their plans for next season.

"When you're going through the season that we had, certainly like mid-November, early December, there was probably some questions in my mind," Veach said. "I will say that those questions were alleviated almost immediately. We played in Vegas last game of the season. We came back here that Monday, we had player exit interviews and Travis popped into the office. We talked about a lot of stuff on the coaching staff, on the roster staff, but he basically said, 'I'm not going out like this. I'm gonna take a few weeks off here, but let's get in touch and let's plan on me being here.'

"So, even though the media kind of went through will he return or won't he return, I think internally we knew he was coming back right away. He's such a competitor. Him and Pat [Mahomes] have almost a brother-like relationship. It's not even a teammate relationship. I think there's an element of Travis wanting to see Pat through this rehab process."

Kelce, who turns 37 in October, signed a one-year, $12 million deal with the Chiefs in March ahead of the opening of free agency.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 04: Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on during the second quarter of the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)Candice Ward via Getty Images

Veach noted that knowing Kelce was in the fold was beneficial to their offseason planning.

"We knew early on that he was coming back, which was very helpful and beneficial for us because we attacked our free agency plan, we already kind of put away and allocated for Travis," Veach said. "It helped free us up to be more decisive and carry through with our plan. Again, from my standpoint, I think, yeah, there was probably some questions in November, December, but right after the last game, 24 hours later after the last game of the season, I knew 100 percent that he'd be back."

Along with Kelce, the Chiefs re-signed wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, and in free agency added running backs Kenneth Walker III and Emari Demercado, safety Alohi Gilman, defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga, cornerback Kader Kohou, among other moves.

The Chiefs finished 6-11 last season and miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Kelce played 17 games, but recorded his fewest receptions (76) and second-fewest receiving yards (851) since 2015. Patrick Mahomes was also lost in late-December after tearing his ACL, an injury that he could be ready to return from by Week 1.

The one-year deal won’t stop the questions for Kelce about his future beyond the 2026 season, but if he’s motivated to play again after a down year for him and the team, could we see a bounce-back year for the future Hall of Fame tight end?

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