The Kansas City Chiefs want to see tight end Travis Kelce return to the field in 2026, and may have just paved the way for that to happen.
Kelce has reached the conclusion of his contract with the Chiefs and is still contemplating whether he wants to retire or return to the NFL for another season. While Kelce muses his future, the Chiefs have made a series of moves that could create the space needed for his return and what could be a final Super Bowl run.
Chiefs Building Cap Space
The Chiefs went into the offseason facing a salary cap crunch, but have now made a series of moves that freed up space which can be used to sign Kelce. The team announced its latest move on Monday, cutting ties with veteran defensive end Mike Danna.
As ESPN reported, the move added more cap space for the Chiefs.
“The move saves the Chiefs $9 million on their salary cap for the 2026 season, according to Roster Management System,” the report noted.
The Chiefs had already restructured the contract of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, freeing up $43.65 million in cap space.
“The Chiefs entered the offseason more than $57 million over the cap before reworking Mahomes’ deal and releasing Danna,” ESPN noted.
But with the moves, the Chiefs have more breathing room to sign Kelce to a new contract and bring back one of the steadiest parts of their offense.
Travis Kelce on Track for Return
While Kelce has still not said publicly whether he will return to the Chiefs, insider Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported that he has been in negotiations with the team on a new contract. In an appearance on the “Rich Eisen Show,” Pelissero said the two sides are working toward a deal, but it’s not yet set in stone.
âIt seems like this is trending toward Travis coming back and playing for Kansas City, but nothing is done until itâs done,” Pelissero said. “Obviously, Travis has a lot going on in his life outside of football and decisions to make. He may not have the howitzer anymore in terms of the top end speed that he did back in the day, but heâs still a functional NFL tight end.”
Kelce has given some hints about how he is making the decision, saying last month that he didn’t want to rush the decision. But the tight end added that he’s keeping the team in the loop, letting them know where he stands so they can prepare accordingly during the offseason.
The Chiefs already face the uncertainty with Patrick Mahomes, who is rehabbing a torn ACL and LCL, and Kelce said he doesn’t want to keep the team in the dark about his decision.
âI think, yeah, just being a regular human for a couple weeks, maybe a month or so, trying to figure out what Iâm gonna do next in terms of my future in football,â Kelce said âAnd I think, you know, Iâve talked to a few people in the facility already, you know, having the exit meetings and everything, and, they know where I stand at least right now.â
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