Chiefs thrilled about the return of Travis Kelce, who is ‘training like crazy’

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PALM BEACH, Fla. — One of the first people to learn of Travis Kelce’s decision this offseason was Andy Reid, the only head coach Kelce has played for in his 12-year NFL career.

Kelce, the future Hall of Fame tight end, informed Reid that he wasn’t retiring less than a week after the Kansas City Chiefs’ disappointing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.

“I just wanted him to put it out there and not me,” Reid said Monday. “I always like guys to step back (after the season), but he wants to come back and he’s training like crazy, too.”

Ahead of what could be the final season of Kelce’s illustrious career, Reid said at the NFL owners’ meetings that the Chiefs plan to find better ways to support him within the structure of their offense. Last season, Kelce, 35, was forced to carry a lot of the offense along with quarterback Patrick Mahomes after receivers Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown and running back Isiah Pacheco suffered significant injuries. Kelce led the Chiefs with 133 targets, but his 823 receiving yards and three touchdowns were career lows.

Reid acknowledged that one way for the Chiefs to manage Kelce’s effectiveness is by playing him less than the 940 snaps (84 percent of the offense) he had last season, even though he likes taking every snap and practice rep.

“I’ll see when he comes back and see where he’s at,” Reid said. “He’s learning when to come out when he needs it.

“We were banged up at the (receiver) positions, so that doesn’t help a tight end’s cause at all. The healthier we can be around him, he can still be productive.”

Kelce finished Super Bowl LIX with just four receptions on six targets for 39 yards. It was the first time in his career that he was held without a reception in the first half of a postseason game. Mahomes never got in rhythm against the Eagles, either. The Philadelphia defense dominated the line of scrimmage, exploiting the Chiefs’ biggest weakness: the offensive line. The Eagles’ four-man pass rush generated 16 pressures and sacked Mahomes six times, the most in his career.

Two days after the loss, Kelce revealed on the “New Heights” podcast, which he co-hosts with his brother and former Eagles center Jason Kelce, that he was contemplating retirement. In early March, though, Kelce explained his reasons for returning for the upcoming season.

“The biggest thing is that I f—— love playing the game of football,” Kelce said on his podcast. “I still feel like I can play at a high level — and possibly at a higher level than I did last year. I don’t think it was my best outing. I let my guys down in a lot more moments than I helped them, especially if you look at my track record in how I’ve been in (previous) years.

“I want to give it a good run. I’ve got a bad taste in my mouth on how I ended the year and how accountable I was for the people around me.”

YEAR 13. pic.twitter.com/qHg9cibYhd

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) February 28, 2025

This offseason, the Chiefs re-signed Brown to a one-year contract. The deal ensured the team’s top three wide receivers — Brown, Rice and Xavier Worthy — will get the chance to play together in 2025, which should help Kelce find more space in the middle of the field. The Chiefs could also select a receiver or a tight end in the NFL Draft later this month, someone who would have the chance to learn from Kelce.

“I’m so excited that he’s going to be back,” club owner Clark Hunt said of Kelce. “I think deep down, (general manager) Brett (Veach), Andy and I felt like he would be back. He loves the game, he loves his teammates and I know Coach Reid is excited to have his energy back in the building for at least one more year.

“He’s not going to tell us which year is going to be his last year. He’s been an important part of the success that we’ve had over the last seven years. He’s already a Hall of Famer and he has a special chemistry with Patrick. I think like every year, it’s going to be fun to see the two of them work their magic again this year.”

Mahomes back to work

Well ahead of the Chiefs’ offseason program, which will start later this month, Mahomes already looks different. In late February, Mahomes appeared courtside at a home men’s basketball game for Texas Tech, his alma mater, with a new haircut, cutting his Mohawk in favor of a short, more mature drop fade.

Mahomes looks different in the gym, too. Known the past several years for his Dad Bod — a pudgy midsection to go with defined muscles in his arms and legs — he has slimmed down, shedding pounds after several workout sessions with Bobby Stroupe, his longtime performance trainer in Tyler, Texas.

“He’ll come back even better than he was — and that’s the great thing about him,” Reid said of Mahomes. “In your career, you’re always working your game against these brilliant defensive coordinators. The work is never done. He did last offseason, too, but he does a good job of keeping himself in great shape. You can see that after he runs the ball and he’s not completely gassed after the play. He’s played a lot of games and taken a few hits.

“As for the haircut thing, he’s been saying he’s going to do that for the last two years. It’s not like he did it just because of the Super Bowl.”

New cut for QB1💈 pic.twitter.com/PAXu1KYoWR

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) February 25, 2025

Mahomes, who will turn 30 in September, is the league’s 13th-highest-paid quarterback, tied with Kirk Cousins (Atlanta Falcons) with an average salary of $45 million. Hunt, however, said Monday that the Chiefs don’t plan to adjust his contract again. In September 2023, the Chiefs restructured it, paying him $210.6 million over the next four seasons. At the time, it was the most in NFL history over four years.

“We upgraded his deal within the confines of his original 10-year extension,” Hunt said. “That really put in place a system that I don’t see changing for several years.”

Hunt pleased to retain Smith, Bolton

The Chiefs’ best two moves this offseason, according to Hunt, were Veach retaining right guard Trey Smith and linebacker Nick Bolton.

Before the league’s new year, the Chiefs placed the franchise tag on Smith, preventing him from becoming a free agent and guaranteeing him a one-year salary of $23.4 million. A couple of weeks later, the Chiefs signed Bolton to a three-year, $45 million deal, including $30 million guaranteed.

Hunt acknowledged Monday that the increase in the league’s salary cap to $279.2 million helped the Chiefs accomplish one of their biggest missions. The Chiefs had been operating under the belief that the salary cap would be around $270 million.

“We’re delighted to have both of them with us in 2025 — and hopefully for a long time past this season,” Hunt said of Smith and Bolton.

2x Super Bowl Champ Trey Smith would love to stay in Kansas City with the Chiefs.@heykayadams | @treysmith pic.twitter.com/LesmJTgoLx

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) March 24, 2025

Smith, a Pro Bowl guard who was ranked as the second-best free agent in The Athletic’s top 150, would’ve been the most coveted free-agent offensive lineman this spring.

Known for his athleticism and durability, Smith has started 80 of 81 games, including playoffs. He has been dominant in the running game and has improved in pass protection for Mahomes. Last season, Smith played 655 pass-blocking snaps and didn’t allow a sack.

“Ultimately, man, I can only focus on working out and training,” Smith said last week on “Up & Adams” with host Kay Adams. “I love Kansas City, it’s my home and I love the Chiefs. The fans in Kansas City are some of the best people I’ve ever been around. Ultimately, I would love to stay there. That’s my plan.”

Smith is projected to command a four-year, $86 million contract, including $52.5 million guaranteed, according to Pro Football Focus. The Chiefs could sign him to a five-year deal with at least $50 million fully guaranteed, which would be the most ever for a guard. The team prefers a five-year deal because it would be better to spread the money over those years while also projecting that the salary cap will continue to increase.

Smith is the lone player in the league still on the franchise tag. The deadline for him and the team to agree to a contract extension is 3 p.m. CT July 15. Hunt is confident the Chiefs will sign Smith to an extension.

“Our desire, and I believe Trey’s as well, is to work out a long-term deal,” Hunt said. “We want to get that done before the deadline.”

(Photo: David Eulitt / Getty Images)

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