Travis Kelce speaks out on return to Kansas City Chiefs: 'I'm still in love with this game'
NFL star Travis Kelce will run it back in Kansas City.
Kelce opened up about his decision to return to football for a 14th season on "The Pat McAfee Show" Tuesday morning.
The tight end said the decision process was "pretty short and brief."
"You always need to take a step back, breathe, let the emotions of the season settle down and see where the body is," Kelce said.
"I'm still in love with this game," he added. "I still love going to work, putting on the pads, grinding it out and just playing the game."
Kelce shared his excitement about returning to play with Kansas City, saying he "can't wait to get back in the building with them."
He also joked about a "slip-up" he made in previous comments earlier in the offseason, where he hinted at a return to football, joking that it was a Taylor Swift-inspired "Easter egg."
Kelce's "New Heights" podcast, which he hosts with brother Jason Kelce, confirmed news of the tight end's decision on social media Monday with a video of an animated Travis Kelce quoting a famous line from the movie "John Wick."
"People keep asking if I'm back, and I haven't really had an answer. But now, yeah, I'm thinkin' I'm back," the animated Kelce says in the video.
The post's caption read, "HE'S BACK!!! TRAVIS KELCE IS BACK WITH THE CHIEFS FOR YEAR 14."
According to ESPN, Kelce is set to return to the Kansas City Chiefs next season on a one-year contract, marking his 14th year in the NFL.
News of Kelce's expected return to the league first broke Monday, with reports from NFL Network and ESPN.
Uncertainty previously loomed around Kelce's future with the NFL following last season, as he pondered his football career publicly.
In an episode of "New Heights" released in January, Kelce discussed his impending decision, saying he still had "love for the game."
"There's a lot of love for the game that's still there and I don't think I'll ever lose that," Travis Kelce said. "It's a tough thing to navigate, but at the same time, if my body can heal up and rest up, and I can feel confident that I can go out there and give it another 18, 20, 21-week run, I think I would do it in a heartbeat."
Kelce said at the time he was focused on evaluating his body in order to make that decision.
"I think right now, it's just finding that answer and seeing how the body feels after this game and kinda when it all settles down," he said.
The likely decision to return bolsters an already extraordinary career for the tight end, who was drafted by Kansas City as the 63rd overall pick in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft.
Kelce went on to find success with the team, notching 11 straight Pro-Bowl appearances from 2015 to 2025. His career highlights include more than 13,000 receiving yards and 82 touchdowns.
Kelce has boosted Kansas City in each of the team's three recent Super Bowl seasons.
The Chiefs' 2025 season concluded with a final six wins and 11 losses, as the team missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2014 season.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include Travis Kelce's comments from "The Pat McAfee Show."
