NFL Rumors: Chiefs' Travis Kelce Given Deadline to Decide Future Amid Retirement Buzz

The Kansas City Chiefs have reportedly set a deadline for Travis Kelce to make a decision regarding his NFL future.

According to Nate Taylor and Cale Clinton of The Athletic, "If Kelce chooses to retire, the Chiefs, as they head into an intriguing offseason, want to know of his decision around March 14, according to a team source. Based on the deadline, the Chiefs are going to give Kelce a month to decide his future."

One factor in the deadline is Kelce's $11.5 million roster bonus, due on March 15.

The veteran tight end, meanwhile, has indicated he will take some time to mull over his options.

“I know everybody wants to know whether or not I‘m playing next year," he said during Wednesday's New Heights podcast with his brother, retired NFL center Jason Kelce. "Right now I am just kicking everything down the road. I am kicking every can I can down the road. I’m not making any crazy decisions, but right now, the biggest thing is just being there for my teammates and being there for my coaches, understanding that there's a lot that goes into this thing."

It feels, however, as though he's leaning toward retirement:

Kelce, 35, showed signs of decline in the 2024 season. While he remained a hugely important target for the Patrick Mahomes, catching 97 passes on 133 targets, his 823 receiving yards and three touchdowns were the lowest marks of his career since his rookie season in 2013 (when he only appeared in one game and didn't register any stats).

And he was bad in the Super Bowl, with just four catches for 39 yards, a drop, several routes where he and Mahomes just didn't seem to be on the same page—the Philadelphia pass rush, linebackers and defensive backs deserve a lot of credit for that—and several rough reps as a blocker.

It's clear that the three-time champion, 10-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro is no longer an elite weapon, unable to get the separation he once did in his prime. Kelce is still an effective player, however, so if the future Hall of Famer wants to continue to play, the Chiefs would assuredly welcome him back with open arms.

"I think I'm gonna take some time to figure it out," he said Wednesday. "I think I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back, it's going to be something that it's a wholehearted decision, I'm not half-assing it, I'm fully here for them. I think I can play. It's just whether or not I'm motivated or it's the best decision for me as a man, as a human, as a person to take on all that responsibility."

The Chiefs are hoping Kelce comes to a conclusion in the next month.