Travis Kelce confirmed he’s “doing it again” and returning for another season with the Kansas City Chiefs.
On Wednesday’s episode of “New Heights,” his brother, Jason Kelce, opened the discussion by announcing that “87 is coming back,” referencing Travis’ jersey number.
“Yeah, we’re doing it again. It’ll be fun, gonna reunite with my friends,” the tight end, 36, responded.
When asked when he knew “for sure” he was doing his 14th season, he simply said, “About midway through [my 13th] season.”
He went on to explain that he took a beat to let fans know his decision because he was taking “Jason Kelce’s advice: to take a step back.”
“You gotta let the emotions clear and you gotta have a clear head. I’ve made decisions based off of [sic] emotions and they haven’t always played out the right way, so I think, taking a step back, letting the emotions settle down, the frustrations from the season …” he continued.
“Of course I want to come back, of course I don’t want to end my career not making the playoffs, not having one of the best years,” Travis further stated, explaining that he really considered his “desires” and how his body was feeling.
“It still felt like I was hungry enough to get back at it. Obviously, there’s still a little of that grit and emotion, I f–king hated how that s–t ended last year, I wanna make it right. Get another chance and get another Super Bowl.”
Travis also denied the speculation that he was coming back solely because running back Kenneth Walker had just signed with the Chiefs, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who tore his ACL during the 2025-2026 season, was set to return.
He reiterated, “I wanted to take a step back from all of that because it adds to the emotion of wanting to play. You list all these pros and cons, and you get all these good pieces but where’s my body at, mental determination, my focus, my love for the game, all of that is still there.”
On Monday, Travis confirmed he would be returning to play for the Chiefs — with whom he’s been since 2013 — despite rampant retirement rumors.
“HE’S BACK!!!” a post shared by his podcast’s social media page revealed. “TRAVIS KELCE IS BACK WITH THE CHIEFS FOR YEAR 14.”
The Athletic then reported he had agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $15 million.
On Tuesday, the aspiring actor described how his fiancée, Taylor Swift, motivated him to give football one more year.
“She has … we share the same love for what we do and fortunately, we’ve had this desire since we were kids in our selective professions,” Travis said on a live taping of the “Pat McAfee Show.”
“It’s just amazing to see her keep going to the table, keep finding new things to write about, keep finding new melodies and things like that,” he added. “And on top of that, still seeing her have that love and joy in what she does.”
“That’s motivating for anyone to see, let alone my fiancée, and knowing that I’m going through something where I’m trying to figure out exactly what the future holds for me,” he explained. “Something like that definitely motivates me to say, ‘You know what, I’m not done either.’”
After the Chiefs failed to make the playoffs in January, Travis suggested he might hang up his football helmet during an interview with local reporter Sam McDowell.
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