The Kansas City Chiefs face a complicated offseason already full of questions. Unfortunately for tight end Travis Kelce, that means he's going to have to find some answers soon enough to help clarify the picture.
Nate Taylor of The Athletic has reported that the Chiefs have given Kelce a firm deadline of "around March 14" to make his decision on whether to return to the franchise for another season or retire from the game after more than a decade of dominating defenses and establishing new heights (pun intended) for what is possible at the position.
The date is specific for the Chiefs to be able to know how to handle a roster bonus of over $11 million due Kelce on the following day, March 15.
Chiefs Kingdom should know in the next month whether or not Travis Kelce is returning.
Kelce has made it clear that he is unclear about his playing future. He's spoken openly in multiple interviews and on his own podcast about the temptation to walk away from the game if the motivation isn't right to give it his all in the face of advancing age and myriad other opportunities outside of the game.
Per Taylor, the Chiefs' hope that Kelce returns, but they'd already started to plan for his eventual departure with the extension given to Noah Gray before the season and the drafting of Jared Wiley out of TCU in last year's fourth round. There is at least youth, upside, and depth at the position going into another offseason.
Following the devastating loss in Super Bowl 59 to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Chiefs face some bigger questions than they've had in years. Roster weaknesses have emerged on a bigger level for a team so top-heavy when it comes to the salary cap. Those financial constraints are directly affected by Kelce's decision to return or not given his looming cap hit of nearly $20 million in 2025.
Kelce's production took a hit this past season despite remaining a high-volume target for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense. With 97 receptions, Kelce came away with 3 touchdowns and 823 yards on the season.
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