Travis Kelce‘s “New Heights” podcast has announced his return to the Kansas City Chiefs for his 14th season in the NFL.
After months of speculation, the podcast revealed via Instagram on Monday, March 9, that the tight end, 36, will be “back with the Chiefs for year 14.”
“New Heights” shared a parody of a John Wick scene with an animated version of Kelce quoting the action movie, saying, “People keep asking if I’m back and I haven’t really had an answer. But now, yeah, I’m thinking I’m back!”
NFL insider Ian Rapoport was first to report the news on Monday, March 9. Kelce was set to become a free agent and receive interest from other teams.
Kelce has played for the Chiefs ever since the team drafted him in 2013, winning three Super Bowls in 2020, 2023 and 2024. He was under contract with the Chiefs through the 2025-2026 NFL season, sparking speculation that he could retire this year. While Kelce and his teammates hoped to secure another Super Bowl title this year, the Chiefs had a disappointing season, failing to make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2014 and losing quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a knee injury in December 2025 before the regular season ended.
In November 2025, Travis shared an update on his retirement plans, telling reporters that he looked to the example set by his older brother, Jason Kelce, when weighing his decision. (Jason, 38, announced his retirement from the Philadelphia Eagles in March 2024 after 13 seasons.)
“You know, seeing my brother go through it and seeing … just how the league works, the season kind of restarts in April, and I want to give the Chiefs a good opportunity to know whether I come back or not,” he explained at the time. “And vice versa. Like, whether they want me back or not, it’s one of those things where I’d like to make that decision before they’ve got to get draft picks and free agency opens up.”
He added, “All that will be at the end of the season. I won’t be thinking about it until then.”
Meanwhile, Jason shared some sage advice for his younger brother as Travis debated retirement.
“In my opinion, to nail that decision, you have to step away from the game for a little bit,” he said on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown in December 2025. “Play these last three games, enjoy them with your teammates, enjoy them with your coaches. The team’s going to be different no matter whether you come back or not next year.”
Jason also emphasized the importance of Travis processing his feelings about the Chiefs’ rough season before making a major decision about his NFL future.
“Enjoy these last three games and then let it sink in. It will come to you with time,” he insisted. “There are so many emotions with this game right after a season, especially with the way this one’s been.”
“They’ve been close, and right now it’s just too fresh,” Jason added. “You gotta step away from it, you gotta think about it, and then, yeah, it will come to you.”
Before the 2025-2026 NFL season officially began, Travis took the next step in his relationship with Taylor Swift by getting engaged in August 2025. Since then, the couple — who have been dating since the summer of 2023 — have started wedding planning.
“They are both [very] involved, and Taylor thinks it’s cute that Travis wants to help,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in October 2025.
As they look ahead to their future, Travis and Swift, 36, know that they “don’t want a long engagement,” the insider said, revealing that the pair “very much want to start a family in the next year or so.”
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