The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to right the ship after missing the playoffs entirely last season. While much of the team’s success will likely depend on how quarterback Patrick Mahomes looks when he returns from a torn ACL and LCL, all eyes were on tight end Travis Kelce entering the offseason, as retirement rumors swirled around him once again.
After the Chiefs lost Super Bowl LIX, the expectation was that Kelce would return for one more season in 2025 before calling it a career. Kansas City’s rough campaign may have altered that plan, though, because Kelce is once again returning for at least one more year in 2026. Fellow legendary tight end Rob Gronkowski certainly took note of that decision, and it sounds like he is excited to see that Kelce is continuing to play football.
Rob Gronkowski Dishes on Travis Kelce’s Retirement Decision
In the eyes of many fans, Gronkowski and Kelce are two of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. While they don’t have the exact same playstyle, Gronkowski helped pave the way for Kelce to excel with the Chiefs. After getting selected by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, Gronkowski quickly teamed up with Tom Brady to form one of the most fearsome tandems in the league.
Kelce has achieved a similar level of proficiency with Mahomes as his quarterback. While he isn’t the sort of All-Peo caliber player he once was, Kelce is still one of the top tight ends in the league, even as he enters his late-30s. In 2025, Kelce caught 76 passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns, making him arguably Kansas City’s most consistent pass catcher.
From a team perspective, though, the 2025 campaign was a dud for the Chiefs, and it wasn’t much of a surprise to see Kelce decide that he didn’t want to retire from the league after such a disappointing year. As a result, he will return for at least one more season, and in an interview with Covers, Gronkowski revealed just how excited he is to see Kelce return to Kansas City for the 2026 season.
“Travis Kelce coming back, it just proves how great of a player that he is, how he takes care of his body,” Gronkowski said. “I have nothing but great respect for Travis Kelce. It’s great for the game that he’s coming back. I’m sure it’s great for K.C. as well. His leadership, his knowledge out there on the field. I see him all the time, good friends with him. It’s going to be great to see him out on the field … I admire his longevity. It’s incredible what he is still doing at such a high level.”
Travis Kelce, Chiefs Looking to Return to Super Bowl in 2026
GettyTight end Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs.
At this point in his career, Kelce doesn’t have much left to accomplish. He’s already an 11-time Pro Bowler who has won three Super Bowls with the Chiefs. And yet, he’s still playing at a high level, so there’s no doubt that Kansas City will be better off now that it knows one of its top offensive weapons will be on the field for it in 2026.
How much longer Kelce will play for is unknown, but for the time being, he’s intent on helping the Chiefs win as much as possible. The 2025 campaign may not have gone the team’s way, but that has simply set the stage for what could end up becoming a devastating revenge campaign for K.C. once it eventually returns to action.
