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Tight end Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Kansas City Chiefs are in the midst of significant change, and tight end Travis Kelce is both part of that transformation in some ways and somewhat disturbed by it in others, simultaneously.
The organization recently decided that it will abandon Arrowhead Stadium on the Missouri side of Kansas City for a new stadium on the Kansas side, namely in Wyandotte County, by the 2031 season.
Kelce spoke about the transition on the Wednesday, February 11 edition of the “New Heights” podcast that he co-hosts with his brother, Jason Kelce.
“I think it’s going to be unbelievable once it’s finally set in stone, but it is going to be kind of heartbreaking knowing that the Chiefs are going to move away from Arrowhead,” Kelce said.
Kelce, who turns 37 years old in October, almost certainly will have retired before the team makes the move from its longtime home into Kansas territory.
Travis Kelce’s Retirement Represents Major Potential Change for Chiefs Heading Into 2026
GettyTight end Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kelce, of course, is also a major part of the tumult this offseason after the Chiefs finished last year with a record of 6-11, marking the first losing campaign of the tight end’s 13-year tenure with the franchise.
Whether Kelce will retire after three Super Bowl rings and 10 Pro Bowls remains a major question, as does the health of quarterback Patrick Mahomes as he continues to rehabilitate from offseason knee surgery following an ACL/LCL tear he suffered against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15.
MLFootball predicted on Monday that Kelce will return next season, and will do so on a massive discount that will help Kansas City out in a big way financially.
“PROJECTION: Legendary #Chiefs star TE Travis Kelce is projected to sign a new 1-YEAR, $8 MILLION CONTRACT,” MLFootball wrote on X. “Kelce is an impending free agent but is expected to return and not retire.”
Kelce’s most recent two-year deal, valued at $34.25 million total, expired when last season did. Spotrac projects the tight end’s market value in free agency at $10.8 million annually. Kansas City is currently $55 million in the red heading into 2026.
David Njoku Has Emerged as Possible Replacement for Travis Kelce
GettyCleveland Browns tight end David Njoku.
If Kelce doesn’t come back, the Chiefs will be in the market for a new TE1. Luckily for them, a viable option is about to come available in the form of David Njoku, most recently of the Cleveland Browns.
“Cleveland, first off I love you. These nine years have been a beautiful journey,” Njoku wrote in a goodbye message to fans on Instagram earlier this week. “I’m so grateful for all the memories we shared together. Thank you to the Haslams, Andrew Berry and the whole Browns organization for everything.”
Cleveland drafted Harold Fannin Jr. in the third round last April, and his rookie breakout campaign renders Njoku an expensive redundancy. Furthermore, the Browns are in bad shape financially due to Deshaun Watson’s cap hit of $80.7 million in the coming year.
Njoku is a one-time Pro Bowler (2023) and has amassed 384 receptions for 4,062 yards and 34 TDs across his nine-year NFL career, which includes 118 games played and 88 starts.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
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