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As the days approach the official start of the 2026 NFL season, Travis Kelce’s status with the Kansas City Chiefs remains a hot topic.
Kelce has said he would let the Chiefs know if he wants to play in 2026 before the new league year to allow general manager Brett Veach and the rest of the franchise to make moves for the rest of the league.
While speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Veach was asked if he had heard from Kelce yet.
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Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on February 24, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
“Travis is the best,” Veach said, according to the New York Post. “He’s an icon. … We’re just letting that process play out.”
Owner Clark Hunt also commented on Kelce earlier this offseason, saying the Chiefs would be respectful given his personal schedule with fiancée Taylor Swift.
“He’s kind of in a busy season with his engagement and marriage, so we want to be respectful and give him the time he needs to make a decision,” Hunt said in January. “But we certainly hope he comes back.”
The new league year begins on March 11, when free agency officially opens at 16. However, the legal manipulation period starts at
Kelce is not under contract with the Chiefs, meaning the team has to negotiate a new deal for him if he wants to return.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce walks off the field after a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl on Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Retirement has been a conversation swirling around the future Hall of Fame tight end for a few years now, but he’s bounced back each time. He may have hinted at doing the same during a “New Heights” podcast episode where he discussed the team’s reunion with Eric Bieniemy, who will once again serve under head coach Andy Reid as offensive coordinator.
“I can’t wait to see him back in the building, man,” Kelce told his older brother, Jason. “He’s one of my favorite coaches of all time, one of my favorite people of all time. I’ve had so many incredible moments under him as a player, as a person, and I just love the guy.”
Did Kelce mean he couldn’t wait to see Bieniemy actually inside the building working together or from the outside looking in?
However, it should come as no surprise that the Chiefs would have their star tight end back in the building for one more go, especially after a disappointing 2025 season in which Patrick Mahomes tore an ACL late in the season.
Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach speaks to the media during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 24, 2026 in Indianapolis. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014 after finishing 6-11.
However, Veach has more to worry about than Kelce this offseason, as Kansas City finds itself in exciting but uncharted territory with a top 10 NFL Draft pick (No. 9). There has been speculation that another reunion could be in the works after Tyreek Hill was released by the Miami Dolphins.
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