Jason Kelce Had Wise Advice to Brother Travis Ahead of Retirement Decision

Travis Kelce’s future is uncertain after the 2025 season ends.

Jason Kelce weighed in on how Travis Kelce should go about his decision to retire or keep playing. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Chiefs have a reached a turning point. They began the NFL’s latest dynasty when Patrick Mahomes took over as the starting quarterback, winning three Super Bowls and reaching the AFC championship game in every season since he became the starter. They felt invincible—pulling off crazy comebacks and somehow finding ways to win seemingly any type of game.

That remarkable streak has come to an end though. The Chiefs were unable to sustain their success this season and will be missing the postseason while Mahomes is out for the rest of the year after tearing his ACL. Going forward, the Chiefs will need to rebuild parts of their team to improve Mahomes’s supporting cast.

The Chiefs also might be turning a new page at the tight end position this offseason. Superstar tight end Travis Kelce is approaching the end of his career, and it is unclear if he plans to retire this offseason or continue playing next year.

Kelce briefly mulled retirement last offseason following the Chiefs’ loss to the Eagles in the Super Bowl. He ended up deciding to return thanks to his love of football, but has yet to announce what he will do after this season comes to a close.

As Kelce’s decision looms with the offseason nearing, his brother Jason Kelce shared how he thinks he should approach this massive choice.

"In my opinion, to nail that decision you gotta step away from the game for a little bit,” Kelce said, via SportsCenter. “Play these last three games, enjoy them with your teammates, enjoy them with your coaches. The team’s going to be different whether you come back or not next year, so enjoy these last three games and then let it sink in. It will come to you with time. There’s so many emotions with this game right after a season. Especially with the way this one’s been, it’s been so up and down, they’re 1-7 in one score games. They’ve been close. Right now, it's too fresh. You gotta step away for a minute, you gotta think about it.”

.@JasonKelce on whether Travis Kelce is weighing retirement at the end of the season.

"To nail that decision you gotta step away from the game for a little bit ... It's too fresh." pic.twitter.com/XNcCPIYcZO

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 15, 2025

Kelce is under contract with the Chiefs through just this season, but could re-sign if he opts to keep playing. Though he is no longer in his prime, he still is a productive player and ranks second among tight ends in receiving yards this season with 67 catches for 797 yards and five touchdowns.

If Kelce does decide to retire, he will already have caught his final pass from Mahomes. There is no postseason or Super Bowl to chase this year, or the chance to go out on top. It would simply be an incredible career capped off by a disappointing ending.

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