Travis Kelce has not yet announced his plans for the 2026 NFL season, and yet, the Kansas City Chiefs are being told to let him go this offseason.
Kelce, 36, was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He's won three Super Bowl titles with the franchise while racking up over 13,000 receiving yards and 82 touchdowns. There's no question there's a spot waiting for him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Although the Chiefs don't want to rush Kelce's decision, they've made it known that they'd welcome him back with open arms. ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum, however, believes they should let Kelce walk in free agency.
The former New York Jets general manager claims Kansas City needs to get "younger and more explosive" at the tight end position.
"I would move on from Travis Kelce. Let me tell you why. When you're in the front office, you have to project what a player is going to do, not what they've done," Tannenbaum said. "Travis Kelce is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but when you watch him and make an honest and sober evaluation of his 2025 performance, clearly his best days are behind him. If I was Kansas City, I would make the right, albeit difficult, decision to move on from Travis Kelce."
Is Kelce interested in leaving the Chiefs?
According to WFAN's Craig Carton, there's a rumor going around that Kelce has interest in playing for the New York Giants.
"The rumor is that Travis Kelce is not going to retire. He wants to come back for another year, but he does not want to go back to Kansas City," Carton said. "I saw a story today that Travis Kelce wants to play for the New York Giants! That way he and his wife can live in New York City, she can go to every game, and Travis Kelce can be in the biggest media market in America. I know it's just a rumor, but do not sleep on the Giants signing Kelce this offseason."
If the Chiefs move on from Kelce, the G-Men would be an interesting suitor for him. At this time though, it sounds like he'll either retire or return to Kansas City.
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