As the days get closer to the official start of the 2026 NFL season, Travis Kelce’s status with the Kansas City Chiefs remains a hot topic. 

Kelce has said that he would let the Chiefs know whether he will play in 2026 or not by the new league year to allow general manager Brett Veach and the rest of the franchise to make moves for the rest of the roster. 

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 Feb. 24, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

“Travis is the best,” Veach said, per the New York Post. “He’s an icon … We’ll just let that process play out.”

Owner Clark Hunt also commented on Kelce earlier this offseason, saying the Chiefs would be respectful considering his personal schedule with fiancée Taylor Swift. 

“He has sort of a busy offseason coming up with his engagement and marriage, so we want to respectful and give him the time he needs to make a decision,” Hunt said in January. “But we certainly hope that he’ll be back.”

The new league year begins on March 11, when free agency officially opens at 4 p.m. However, the legal tampering period will start at noon ET on March 9, when teams are allowed to agree to terms on free agent contracts with players. 

Kelce is not under contract with the Chiefs, which means the team would have to figure out a new deal for him if he wishes to return. 

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce walks off the field after a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles during the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game, Sunday, 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 some years now, but he has returned 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 said to 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 unbelievable 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 on the outside looking in?

It should come as no surprise, though, that the Chiefs would want their star tight end back in the building for one more ride, especially after a disappointing 2025 season that saw Patrick Mahomes suffer a torn ACL late in the season.

General manager Brett Veach of the Kansas City Chiefs speaks to the media during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 24, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

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The Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014 after finishing 6-11.

Veach has more to worry about than Kelce this offseason, though, as Kansas City finds itself in intriguing, but unfamiliar territory with a top-10 NFL Draft pick (No. 9). Also, there’s been speculation another reunion could be in the works, with Tyreek Hill being released by the Miami Dolphins. 

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