Travis Kelce ended his retirement saga by signing a new deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, but the details left fans with a lot of questions
15:16 ET, 23 Mar 2026Updated 15:31 ET, 23 Mar 2026
Travis Kelce signed a new Chiefs deal but the details surprised everyone
View Image
Travis Kelce signed a new Chiefs deal but the details surprised everyone(Image: Getty)
Travis Kelce has officially ended months of retirement speculation by signing a new contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, but the deal that was announced on Monday came with a detail that caught almost everyone off guard, and has raised as many questions as it answered.
Earlier this month, reports suggested Kelce was set to return on a one-year, $12 million deal. However, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday that the agreement is instead a three-year, $54,735 million deal that can be worth up to $57,735 million ($18,245 million average), with Year 1 including $12 million plus $3 million in incentives.
Article continues below
The reaction on social media was immediate and skeptical. "He's gonna play 3 more years? Yeah right," wrote one fan. "3 years??? A little much," added another.
Article continues below
READ MORE: Rick Pitino calls March Madness moment 'funniest thing' he's been part ofREAD MORE: Kim Mulkey tells Flau'jae Johnson 'you've lost your starting job' after record-setting March Madness game
At 36 years old, Kelce is widely expected to make his retirement decision on a year-by-year basis regardless of what his contract says.
The Chiefs have no obligation to pay a player who retires, meaning the extra years on the deal could be largely cosmetic, a way of ensuring that if Kelce does come back in 2027 or beyond, he does so already under contract rather than as a free agent.
It also gives the team flexibility to structure the money in ways that minimally impact the salary cap if he walks away after 2026.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
Kelce himself made clear in a recent episode of his New Heights podcast with brother Jason that the decision to return was not taken lightly.
"You know, I was taking Jason Kelce's advice. I was taking the advice to take a step back," he said. "You gotta let the emotions clear and you gotta have a clear head. I've made decisions based off of emotions and they haven't always played out the right way."
The Chiefs' failure to make the playoffs in 2025, only the second time in Kelce's 13-year career that had happened, weighed heavily on him.
"Of course I want to come back," he said. "Of course I don't want to end my career not making the playoffs and not having one of the best years. It still felt like I was hungry enough to get back at it."
There will be more to follow on this breaking news story and Mirror US Sports will bring you the very latest updates, pictures and video as soon as possible.
Article continues below
Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story HERE. Get email updates on the day's biggest stories straight to your inbox by signing up for our newsletters.
Follow @MirrorUSSports on Twitter : The official Mirror Sports X/Twitter account for all the latest sports news as it happens in real time.
Follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, , Facebook or visit The Mirror US homepage.