Kansas City Chiefs great Tony Gonzalez honestly has no idea whether or not Travis Kelce will retire.
Gonzalez knows all about what it takes to excel at the tight end position. The Pro Football Hall of Fame member held every major receiving record for tight ends when he retired in 2013.
However, fast forward more than a decade later and it’s Kelce who holds many tight end and NFL postseason records. But father time catches up to everyone and it’s clear that the 36-year-old Kelce isn’t the dominant player he once was at the position.
Kelce is coming off of a season in which he posted 76 catches for 851 yards and five touchdowns. His number of catches was his lowest since the 2015 season and his receiving yards were the second-lowest of his career since the 2014 season.
Will Travis Kelce Play Again?
But Gonzalez says Kelce is truly conflicted about playing another year.
“I did an interview with him on Christmas, sat down with him, spent some time with him after that on a personal level, and I really believe — he said it in the interview — he’s like, ‘I really don’t know,’” Gonzalez told Card Player in an exclusive interview. “I believe him. Even in the interview, I was kind of like, ‘Come on, you know a little bit, you got to know something.’”
The 49-year-old Gonzalez is well aware of Kelce’s legacy, with some believing the 11-time Pro Bowler is the greatest tight end of all time. Another important thing to add is that Kelce already has three Super Bowls and is about to get married. Players tend to play deep into their careers — as did Gonzalez for 17 seasons — in the quest to win a Super Bowl.
The thing is, Kelce doesn’t need to do any of that — it’s a matter of whether or not he wants to continue playing.
“You get players out there like Jerry Rice,” Gonzalez said. “His advice to me was, ‘Play until the wheels fall off.’ He is somebody that needed football. I think that’s the question Travis has got to ask himself. ‘Do I need this, or do I want this?’ Because if you want it, I don’t know if that’s a strong enough reason. I think when you want something, it’s different than needing it. He doesn’t need it, he doesn’t. Why would you come back? That’s the question.
“It’s not fame, it’s not money, it’s not opportunity, it’s not Super Bowl rings, it’s not records, it’s not anything,” Gonzalez continued. “You need to be around that locker room and be around the game of football, and we all come to that point in our career. He’s got a tough decision to make, and I think he’s kind of grappling with it, but no matter what he does, he’s gonna have some success.”
For Love Of The Game?
Gonzalez said if he were in the same position, it would be tough for him to come back.
“My opinion is that if I was in that similar situation, it would be tough to come back,” said Gonzalez. “But that’s where it’s like, kind of like Jerry Rice, arguably the greatest receiver of all time, kept coming back. Played for the Seattle Seahawks, was cut by the Denver Broncos. That tells you right there, that’s somebody who needed football. I don’t know if Travis is in that category, but that would be the only reason, just because you love the game.”
The fact that the Chiefs are coming off of their first non-playoff season since the 2014 season and that Patrick Mahomes is coming off of a serious ACL injury means Kansas City is no longer the favorites in the AFC. Kelce has grown used to playing for the Super Bowl favorites, having appeared in the big game in five of the past seven seasons.
That is no longer guaranteed entering next season.
“It’s not like it was two to three years ago — you’re right with the team with the question mark,” said Gonzalez of the Chiefs. “Even though I think Patrick is going to come back strong, you got that issue. You got the rebuilding type issue. You got all these things going on.
“His future is bright. He can write his own ticket if he wants to act, if he wants to be at the desk, if he wants to call games. He can do whatever he wants. The world is his oyster. I said before, it’s up to him to see whether or not he wants to come back.”
Hungry Mahomes Will ‘Come Back Stronger’ After ACL Tear
On the other hand, Gonzalez believes Mahomes will be just fine coming off of his ACL tear. The 30-year-old was having a solid campaign despite the team’s struggles before suffering the season-ending injury.
“Back when I was at the beginning of my career, this would have been devastating, but guys come back from ACL tears all the time,” said Gonzalez, who entered the league in 1997. “The technology and the rehabilitation that they have nowadays with these types of injuries, it’s fantastic. Obviously he’s going to be getting the best care. I expect him to come back strong, as strong as before, maybe even better too when you go through these types of injuries.
“I never had an ACL or anything like that, but I’ve been hurt,” Gonzalez continued. “You have a lot of time to do some thinking, to do some re-evaluating, do some soul-searching when you’re in these situations. At least it was that way for me, and I anticipate he’s such a champion and a winner. He’s gonna come back stronger.”
Chiefs May Not Be Contender In 2026
When asked if the Chiefs will be contenders next season, Gonzalez didn’t commit to the idea. He actually says it “will be tough.”
“It’s gonna be tough this offseason,” said Gonzalez. “Who are they going to bring back with the cap money they got? They got to re-sign some players. They’re gonna have to cut some good players. (Trent) McDuffie the corner, he’s one of the best corners in the league. Are you gonna give him that big max contract? Chris Jones, is still there making it.
“There’s a lot of things they have to address. This is going to be an interesting offseason for the Chiefs. I think it’s time. It’s that rebuilding time. But Brett Veach and Andy Reid… I couldn’t think of a better duo to get that job done and still put out a really competitive team next year.”
Gonzalez mentioned he would like to see Kansas City upgrade in the trenches along the offensive and defensive lines through free agency and the draft.
“I always like offensive line,” said Gonzalez of where the Chiefs need to upgrade. “I think if you give Patrick time, he’ll give you the world, he will dominate. You want to keep him healthy so he doesn’t have to scramble that much. He got hurt when he was out there running around. My biggest thing is always build that offensive line. He’ll make average receivers look good, he’ll make good receivers look great. They’ll make great receivers at the Hall of Fame type level.
“They still got Rashee Rice, who’s a really good player,” Gonzalez continued. “If Kelce does come back, he still knows how to get open. He gets to those little spots. Defensively, I would want to get somebody else to help Chris Jones put pressure on the quarterback. Those are probably my biggest ones, the D-line and the offensive line trying to build that through the draft and free agency. I just think it’s really tough to go out there and sign big time free agents with their situation.”
DJ Siddiqi is a sports reporter who focuses on football, basketball, baseball and pro wrestling. He has covered some of the biggest sporting events, including the NBA Finals and Wrestlemania and often interviews high-profile athletes. Siddiqi has interviewed the likes of Dan Marino, Emmitt Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, Tony Hawk and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
