Travis Kelce faces a deadline.
Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce has a decision to make regarding his future in the NFL. And while he still has plenty of time to make that decision, it sounds like he is facing a bit of a deadline from the Chiefs.
According to a report from Nate Taylor and Cale Clinton of The Athletic, the Chiefs have given Travis Kelce a deadline of around March 14 to make his retirement decision.
“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,” The Athletic reported last week.
“Kelce’s contract, which runs through next season, includes an $11.5 million roster bonus that is due March 15, according to Over The Cap. The NFL’s free agency period begins March 10.”
Throughout his career in the NFL, Kelce has established himself as perhaps the most dominant and most consistent receiving tight end in the history of the league. However, that was not the case this season.
Ahead of the 2024 season, Kelce signed a new contract with the Chiefs that made him the highest-paid tight end in the league, but he did not exactly live up to that contract during the season.
Kelce just had the least productive season of his career since becoming a full-time starter, with his receiving numbers dropping across nearly every category.
The veteran tight end posted career-low numbers in yards per game, yards per reception, and yards after the catch. He also saw a decrease in his average depth of target and recorded fewer touchdowns this season than in any other season.
We’ll have to see whether or not he decides to retire from the league or return again next season.
