Travis Kelce has yet to decide whether he will walk away from his NFL playing career, with reports suggesting he could become one of the highest-paid analysts if he decides to move to TV
10:43 ET, 27 Feb 2026
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce walks off the field in Las Vegas
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Travis Kelce is yet to decide if he is playing in 2026 or retiring from the NFL(Image: Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
Travis Kelce could step into a huge role on TV should he decide to walk away from his NFL playing career, after learning just how much he could make from broadcasting.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end almost retired at the end of the 2024 season but chose to return for another year before a nightmare campaign saw them win just six games. Kelce is reportedly considering coming back for the 2026 season, despite Patrick Mahomes being likely to miss time after he suffered a season-ending knee injury.
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Kelce has not yet announced his decision on whether he will return to play, but will need to do so soon with free agency beginning in less than two weeks.
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But if he does decide to hang it up, The Athletic has reported that he could make as much as $15 million per season with a number of jobs potentially open to him.
Kelce is reportedly an option for Amazon Prime Video's coverage of Thursday Night Football, with Kirk Herbstreit reportedly leaving after the 2026 season.
Travis Kelce has yet to announce his decision ahead of 2026
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Travis Kelce has yet to announce his decision ahead of 2026(Image: Getty Images)
The future Hall of famer could follow in his close friend and former tight end Greg Olsen's footsteps and look to make the move into the booth, rather than his brother's role as an analyst on a number of ESPN shows.
Speaking on his podcast in the first episode after the Chiefs' season ended, Kelce discussed the upcoming decision he will make on playing next year.
He said: "There's a lot of love for the game still, and I don't think I'll ever lose that,' the veteran confessed. "It's a tough thing to navigate but at the same time I think if my body can heal up and rest and I can feel confident that I can go out there and give it another 18-, 20-, 21-week run, I think I would do it in a heartbeat.
"I think right now it's just finding that answer and see how the body feels after all this settles down.
Kelce and Swift will be getting married in June
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Kelce and Swift will be getting married in June(Image: Getty Images)
"Like every season that ends for me, I just put my feet up and be a human because I've been putting my body through the ringer for the love of it.
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"I do enjoy playing football and the physical aspect of it. There's something about feeling the wear and tear of the football season, getting ready for a game knowing that your body is beatdown, there's something to it. It makes you feel like a mangy animal that's just out here trying to find a way to survive. And I love that ----."
Kelce is set to marry Taylor Swift on June 13 in Rhode Island, with the two taking the NFL by storm in 2023 after announcing their relationship.
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