NFL Insider Weighs in on Travis Kelce Retirement Rumors Amid Patrick Mahomes’ Injury

From their historically lopsided loss at Super Bowl LIX, to their failure to reach the postseason for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, it’s safe to say that the downfall of the Kansas City Chiefs’ dynasty has been one of the more dramatic ones in NFL history. Of course, that’s only been amplified by the partial tearing of Mahomes’ ACL and LCL ligaments, as well as the potential retirement of his star tight end, Travis Kelce.

According to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, however, it’s not all bad news for Chiefs fans. “My understanding is that they’ve already been in contract talks,” Pelissero noted while speaking with Rich Eisen earlier on this Friday.

“It seems like this is trending toward Travis coming back and playing for Kansas City, but nothing is done until it’s done. Obviously, Travis has a lot going on in his life outside of football and he has a lot of decisions to make. He may not have the howitzer anymore in terms of the top end speed that he did back in the day, but he’s still a functional NFL tight end.”

Unfortunately, that small glimmer of hope was immediately followed by Pelissero reminding fans of the current status of Kelce’s quarterback. The timetable for recovery after having both your ACL and your LCL repaired is anything but brief, prompting Pelissero to explain, in no uncertain terms, that “He’s going to miss a substantial chunk of time, probably the entire off season, maybe into training camp.”

With Mahomes’ being unavailable for an extended duration, Pelissero suggested that bringing Kelce back will be crucial for the Chiefs in terms of providing their offense with a veteran presence throughout the coming months. Considering that the team also figures to be without its primary wide receiver, Rashee Rice, as a result of his most recent legal troubles, it’s safe to say that a sense of normalcy is very much needed in Kansas City right now.

Of course, the only issue is whether or not Kelce is willing to put his future life as the husband of Taylor Swift on hold for nearly an entire calendar year all for the slim chance of redeeming both himself and the Chiefs. His history as a competitor, as well as Pelissero’s report, suggest that he probably will, but then again, one can never be too sure when it comes to matters of the heart.