Clark Hunt on Travis Kelce’s future: ‘We certainly hope that he will come back’
Travis Kelce’s return to the Chiefs has the endorsement of the owner.
In a Tuesday appearance on the NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” show, Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said he hopes the 36-year-old superstar tight end will choose playing next season over retirement.
“As an organization, we certainly hope that he will come back,” Hunt said. “He had another great year, maybe not on par with where he was four or five years ago, but still had over 800 yards, and was really one of the leaders on the offensive side of the ball for us.
“So there’s no doubt in my mind that he can still play. We’re trying to be respectful and let him have the time that he needs to make a decision.”
Last season, Kelce started all 17 games and led the Chiefs with 76 receptions for 851 yards. His five touchdown receptions matched Marquise “Hollywood” Brown for the team lead in that department, too.
Although his totals were among the lowest of Kelce’s 13-year NFL career, Kelce was named the Pro Bowl team and earned first-team All-AFC honors from the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA).
The Chiefs finished 6-11, however, and did not reach the playoffs for the first time since 2014, Kelce’s second year as a pro.
Kelce will have a busy 2026 no matter his decision about the future of his football career. He got engaged to pop icon Taylor Swift last summer and the two plan to wed this summer.
“He has sort of a busy offseason coming up with his engagement and marriage, so we want to be respectful and give him the time he needs to make a decision,” Hunt said. “But we certainly hope that he’ll be back.”
Did Kelce drop a recent hint about his future on the New Heights podcast he co-hosts with brother Jason Kelce? Last week, when asked about newly re-hired Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, he had this to say:
“I can’t wait to see him back in the building,” Kelce said of Bieniemy. “He’s one of my favorite coaches of all-time, one of my favorite people of all time. I’ve had so many unbelievable growing moments under him as a player, as a person, and I just love the guy, and it’s going to be awesome to see him back in the building and see him back wearing the Chiefs logo, baby.”