Travis Kelce may not be ready to spend plenty of time golfing from July to January.
Despite signs and signals that Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was ready to retire from pro football, current indications point to a fourteenth NFL season.
On Friday, Chiefs coach Andy Reid told reporters that the team and Kelce's representatives are talking about a new deal.
"There is communication," Reid said regarding negotiations with Kelce. "That's the main thing. I've said this before: As long as there's communication, I'm good. That means people want to move forward. I think that's where Travis is."
Reid then tapped the brakes, a bit.
"I'm not trying to put words in his mouth at all, and I try to give him some space here," Reid said. "He's been doing this a long time, and he can sort all that out as he goes forward. But we're proceeding with that."
Kelce is due to become a free agent for the first time in his career. There's been no indication that he's thinking about ending his career with another team. It most likely will be the Chiefs or no one.
Still, the price will have to be right. On one hand, Kelce doesn't need the money; he's making a lot more through his podcast and other endeavors. On the other hand, he's not going to play for the minimum.
There's a respect factor that reflects his value to the organization. And the Chiefs recently cleared $43 million in cap space by restructuring quarterback Patrick Mahomes's contract.
Kelce seemed to be poised to retire a year ago, if the Chiefs had won a record third straight Super Bowl. He decided to continue. The return of Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator could be the thing that gets Kelce, 36, to give it another go.
He has the rest of his life to not play football. Once it's done, it's done. (Except for those who unretire.) If Kelce still enjoys it — and if he can still physically do it — why stop?
The clock is nevertheless ticking. If Kelce isn't going to play in 2026, the Chiefs need to make other plans. And the official negotiating window for free agency opens in only 10 days.