Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has always put the team first, and his actions this offseason further illustrate that.
With Kelce's future being a big talking point this offseason, as many were unsure if 2025 was his last in the NFL, fans were eagerly awaiting to see what he was going to be doing.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach was on SiriusXM Radio and said he knew a day after Kansas City's last regular-season game that Kelce was coming back.
And because of Travis' desire to make it known early in the offseason that he was returning, Veach stated that it helped the Chiefs with their free agency plans.
"So, we knew early on that he was coming back, which was very helpful and beneficial for us because we attacked our free agency plan, we already kind of put away and allocated for Travis," Veach said. "It helped free us up to be more decisive and carry through with our plan.
"Again, from my standpoint, I think, yeah, there were probably some questions in November, December, but 24 hours later after the last game of the season, I knew 100 percent that he'd be back."
MORE: Chiefs' GM reveals moment he learned Travis Kelce return
Chiefs' Travis Kelce set for big 2026?
Even though many saw Kelce's 2025 season as a "down" year, he still led the Chiefs in yards (851), targets (108), receptions (76), and was a joint leader in touchdowns (5).
So, Travis wasn't exactly just making up the numbers.
Now, as we turn to 2026, the ideal scenario would be for Kelce to drift into the background and let someone else take over the tight end room. Yes, he'll still be one of Patrick Mahomes' favorite targets, but can Noah Gray or Jared Wiley be the next guy to take over?
That is what will be interesting to see in 2026: yes, Kelce is returning, but Kansas City also needs to have a potential replacement lined up.
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