The Kansas City Chiefs haven’t had the best couple of weeks since the Super Bowl 59 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. There was speculation that tight end Travis Kelce could retire but he officially made his decision on Thursday.

Kelce texted Pat McAfee and said that he will be returning for the 2025 season and that is a massive advantage for the Chiefs in regard to offseason planning.

Travis Kelce is Returning for the 2025 Season

The Chiefs asked Kelce to make his decision before March 14 because his $11.5 million roster bonus is due on March 15.

Now, with Kelce making it clear that he will be coming for his 13th season in the NFL, the Chiefs can focus on retaining key free agents. Guys like Trey Smith and Justin Reid are slated to hit the open market if KC doesn’t reach an extension with them.

With a major domino with Kelce down, the Chiefs can use the next two weeks to formulate a plan before free agency. His cap number is listed at $19.8 million, but with the salary cap ballooning to a record high of $279.2 million this year, the Chiefs have more wiggle room to make things shake.

Their biggest priority seems to be retaining Smith. According to Spotrac, his projected market value is listed at $19.7 million a year, and his projected contract is four years for $78.8 million.

As for Reid, Spotrac has his market value listed at $17.1 million and a three-year, $51.1 million projected deal. It will be difficult to keep both of these guys around. Teams around the league love to poach players from championship rosters.

While they may leave for the highest deal on the open market, Kelce making his decision in the month of February could go a long way. Mainly, it’s great to have one of your leaders come back as they seek to get revenge in 2025. And secondly, the Chiefs can plan future deals, knowing that Kelce is on the books.