The Kansas City Chiefs want to see tight end Travis Kelce return to the field in 2026, and may have just paved the way for that to happen.

Kelce has reached the conclusion of his contract with the Chiefs and is still contemplating whether he wants to retire or return to the NFL for another season. While Kelce muses his future, the Chiefs have made a series of moves that could create the space needed for his return and what could be a final Super Bowl run.

Chiefs Building Cap Space

The Chiefs went into the offseason facing a salary cap crunch, but have now made a series of moves that freed up space which can be used to sign Kelce. The team announced its latest move on Monday, cutting ties with veteran defensive end Mike Danna.

As ESPN reported, the move added more cap space for the Chiefs.

“The move saves the Chiefs $9 million on their salary cap for the 2026 season, according to Roster Management System,” the report noted.

The Chiefs had already restructured the contract of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, freeing up $43.65 million in cap space.

“The Chiefs entered the offseason more than $57 million over the cap before reworking Mahomes’ deal and releasing Danna,” ESPN noted.

But with the moves, the Chiefs have more breathing room to sign Kelce to a new contract and bring back one of the steadiest parts of their offense.