Travis Kelce DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Sources told Pat McAfee that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is "coming back for sure" in 2025 after briefly contemplating retirement following the 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. "I'm gonna get in the best shape of my life this offseason. I've got a real bad taste in my mouth with how I played in that last game and I can't go out like that!!!!" Kelce also said via sources. We haven't exactly heard it from Kelce's mouth directly, but it's a pretty good indication that the 35-year-old four-time All-Pro and 10-time Pro Bowler will be returning in 2025. By Kelce's standards, 2024 was a down year with a 97-823-3 line in 16 regular-season games. His 823 receiving yards were his fewest since his rookie year in 2013, when he played in just one game, and his three TDs were also his fewest since 2013. Kelce will still be important in KC's offense if he returns, but his days of being an elite, high-end TE1 in fantasy could be over.UPDATE: Kelce confirmed on his New Heights podcast that he will be coming back in 2025.

Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said on Tuesday that the team anticipates tight end Travis Kelce playing in 2025. "Hopefully he has a magical season to end his magical career," Veach said. Kelce, a four-time All-Pro and 10-time Pro Bowler, has been contemplating retirement this offseason after the blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX in which he had four catches for 39 yards. The 35-year-old caught 97 of his 133 targets for 823 yards and only three touchdowns in 16 regular-season starts. He's scheduled to make $17 million this year -- $4.5 million in salary, $11.5 million on a roster bonus due on March 15 and $1 million on a roster bonus due on Aug. 1. Veach said that the March 15 deadline on Kelce's bonus isn't a deadline for Kelce to make a decision, but Chiefs surely wouldn't want to pay $11.5 million to Kelce for him to walk away. Stay tuned.

On his New Heights podcast, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said that he is planning to take his time this offseason as he decides whether to retire from professional football following a 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. "I'm gonna take some time to figure it out. And I think I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back that it's gonna be a wholehearted decision and I'm not half-assing it, and I'm fully here for them," Kelce said. "I think I can play, it's just whether or not I'm motivated or it's the best decision for me as a man, as a human, as a person to take on all that responsibility." The 35-year-old 10-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro managed 97 receptions in 16 regular-season games but had only three touchdowns and 823 yards, his fewest since his rookie season when he played just one game. If Kelce does return in 2025, he'll still be on the TE1 radar in fantasy, but his days of being the first TE off the board are over.