Chiefs Officially Announce Travis Kelce's Return for 2026

Travis Kelce's return for a 14th season had been in the works for the last few days, with ESPN reporting Monday that Kelce was set to come back to Kansas City.

On Wednesday, the Chiefs made it official, welcoming Kelce back to the fold on social media.

"Ain’t done yet. @tkelce is back," one tweet said, with another featuring the caption "Like he never left."

Like he never left. pic.twitter.com/Q7peguSh9S

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) March 11, 2026

Details on Kelce's new contract have not been reported.

The deal can't become official until the start of the league year at 4 p.m. ET today, but fans can expect No. 87 back at Arrowhead Stadium this fall.

Kelce previously confirmed he was returning

During a Tuesday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Kelce confirmed he was "making another run at it, baby." The 11-time Pro Bowler also revealed that seeing his fiancée Taylor Swift's continued dedication to her craft "without a doubt" played a role in his decision to come back.

"We share the same love for what we do, and we've had this...desire since we were kids in our selective professions," Kelce said of the "Midnights" singer. "It's amazing to see her keep going to the table, keep finding new things to write about, keep finding new melodies and, on top of that, still seeing her have that love and joy in what she does. Of course, that's motivating."

"That's motivating for anybody to see, let alone my fiancée, knowing that I'm going through something where I'm trying to figure out exactly what the future holds for me," Kelce added. "Something like that definitely motivates me to say, 'You know what, I'm not done either.'"

The Chiefs have wanted Kelce back for a while

Back in January, Kansas City owner Clark Hunt said on an episode of NFL Network’s Good Morning Football that the organization was hoping Kelce would return.

“Well as an organization, we certainly hope that he will come back,” Hunt said. “He had another great year, maybe not on par with where he was four or five years ago, but still had over 800 yards, and was really one of the leaders on the offensive side of the ball for us. So there’s no doubt in my mind that he can still play. We’re trying to be respectful and let him have the time that he needs to make a decision.

“He has sort of a busy offseason coming up with his engagement and marriage, so we want to be respectful and give him the time he needs to make a decision. But we certainly hope that he’ll be back.”

In his 13th pro campaign, Kelce posted 76 receptions, 851 receiving yards and five touchdowns for the Chiefs in 2025.