While the Kansas City Chiefs undoubtedly need an influx of fresh talent on the roster and new perspectives on the coaching staff, the most important concerns this offseason for the team are all focused on returning players.
Specifically, the statuses for both star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce are central questions facing the Chiefs. When it comes to the former, it's all about the timing of that recovery; for the latter, it's focused on whether he will return at all. Chiefs owner Clark Hunt remains optimistic on both fronts.
Hunt made an appearance on Good Morning Football on Tuesday to discuss a few subjects, and the conversation naturally turned to the two biggest clouds hovering over the franchise.
When asked about whether or not Kelce would be back in Kansas City for another year, Hunt said the Chiefs "certainly hope" that Kelce will return for a 14th professional season. This season, Kelce put up an impressive season at age 36 with 76 catches for 851 yards and 5 touchdowns after reporting back to the team in great shape.
"As an organization, we certainly hope he will come back. He had another great year, maybe not on par with where he was four or five years ago, but still had over 800 yards and was really one of the leaders on the offensive side of the ball for us. So there’s no doubt in my mind that he can still play. We’re trying to be respectful to give him the time that he needs to make a decision. He has sort of a busy offseason coming up with his engagement and marriage, so we want to be respectful and give him the time that he needs to make the decision but we certainly hope he’ll be back," said Hunt
Kelce flirted with potential retirement a year ago at this time, following the Chiefs' devastating loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. With plenty of career opportunities awaiting him off the field, it made sense that he might walk away with multiple championship rings and a strong Hall of Fame resume.
The Kansas City Chiefs owner appeared on Good Morning Football to talk about Mahomes, Kelce, and a number of other topics.
Knowing it was already on his mind in previous offseasons brings up even further uncertainty for 2026. However, Kelce has been talking like a man who knows he will be back. The language he uses, for example, when talking about Eric Bieniemy's return as offensive coordinator or just talking about his love for the game on his podcast, New Heights, makes it clear it will be difficult for him to walk away, whenever that happens.
As for Mahomes, the face of the franchise is already well into rehabilitation efforts after suffering a torn ACL in Week 15. Mahomes underwent immediate surgery to repair the torn ligaments in order to get the process started, but the typical recovery timeline brings his availability for next season into question, at least on the front end.
Hunt was asked about Mahomes' injury and whether or not he thought he could be back early next season. The Chiefs' owner gave an update from having spent time with Mahomes earlier this week.
"I was with Patrick a couple of days ago in our training room, watching him go through the work that he’s doing to get back on the field with the rehab. Nobody works harder than Patrick. He certainly has a goal of being back by the beginning of the season. I wouldn’t put it past him. He’s somebody in the past who has healed very quickly, and again, his work ethic, I think, gives him a huge advantage in getting back and being ready to play in 2026," said Hunt.
With Gardner Minshew also injured (and heading toward free agency) as the backup quarterback, the Chiefs have a considerable overhaul to make at the position, knowing even that those who could eventually hold a clipboard behind Mahomes should be ready to potentially start the season under center in K.C.
The questions don't end there, but they do start with Kelce's potential retirement and Mahomes' ability to heal. Hunt didn't offer any answers on Tuesday, but he at least served up some optimism for Chiefs fans in the early stages of the offseason.