Travis Kelce Retirement Update Given by Chiefs HC Andy Reid Amid NFL Rumors

Andy Reid says the Kansas City Chiefs have been in communication with Travis Kelce ahead of the expiration of the veteran tight end's contract on March 11.

"There is communication. That's the main thing. I always know, I've said this before, as long as there's communication, I'm good. That means people wanna move forward," Reid said during a Friday press conference held via Zoom. "I think that's where Trav is.

"I'm not trying to put words in his mouth, at all. And I try to give him some space, here. He's been doing this a long time, and he can sort all that out as he goes forward. But we're proceeding with that, and there is communication."

Kelce, who is a pending free agent after the expiration of his previous two-year, $34.25 million deal with the Chiefs, has not yet confirmed whether he plans to return for a 14th NFL season in 2026.

He said in a Feb. 6 appearance on Kylie Kelce's Not Gonna Lie podcast that "if my body can heal up, and rest up, and I feel confident that I can go out there and give it another 18-, 20-, 21-week run, I would do it again in a heartbeat."

Chiefs owner Clark Hunt has previously stated that the organization is hoping to get Kelce back for another season.

The Chiefs recently restructured the contract of star quarterback Patrick Mahomes to lower his cap hit ahead of the 2026 season, per ESPN.

Kansas City is still currently projected to be $11.3 million over the cap in 2026, per Over the Cap. The franchise will need to make further maneuvers to shed salary over the next few weeks, to potentially re-sign Kelce and to get under the cap by the league's March 11 deadline.