Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is facing a harsh deadline to decide whether or not he’ll retire, though quarterback Patrick Mahomes implored his teammate to take his time

The clock is already ticking for Travis Kelce to make a decision on his NFL future.

On Sunday, Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs suffered a gut-wrenching 44-20 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. The star tight end didn’t exactly handle the loss well, swiftly fleeing from the Caesars Superdome rather than facing an onslaught of questions at the media podium.

It remains to be seen if the disheartening loss will be the last game before Kelce hangs up the cleats. The 35-year-old failed to make a single reception in the first half of a postseason game for the first time in his NFL career, ending the game with just four catches for 39 yards and no touchdowns.

In the leadup to the Big Game, Kelce routinely asserted that he still has plenty left in the tank – but stopped short of committing himself to the Chiefs for the 2025-26 campaign.

Kelce’s retirement deadline

Unfortunately for Kelce, he won’t have long to mull over his retirement options. After inking a two-year, $34.25M contract with the Chiefs last May, the 10-time Pro Bowler is owed a $4.5 million base salary and $12.5 million roster bonus in 2025.

According to Over The Cap, $11.5 million of the aforementioned roster bonus is due on March 15, with the remaining $1 million in incentives owed in August. As such, Kelce will need to decide if he will be playing another season by that harsh deadline in order to not inhibit the Chiefs from making moves in free agency.

Patrick Mahomes advised Kelce to take his time before making a decision on his NFL future ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

Mahomes’ honest advice

Speaking to reporters following the Super Bowl, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes implored Kelce to take his time before choosing to come back or call it quits. “He’s got to make that decision on his own. He’s given so much to this team and to the NFL and been such a joy not only for me to work with but for people to watch,” Mahomes said.

“He knows he still has a lot of football left in him. You can see it, he always makes plays in the biggest moments. It’s just if he wants to put in that grind.”

When assessing his options, Mahomes advised Kelce to truly consider if he’s still committed to powering through another grueling NFL season. “It takes a grind to go out there and play 20 games or whatever it is to get to the Super Bowl. He’s done enough to be a gold jacket guy, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but I know he still has love for the game,” he added.

“He’ll get to spend some time with his family and make that decision on his own. But he knows he’ll come back here with open arms. We love that guy not only for the football player but for the person he is every single day.”