Travis Kelce took his time letting the Kansas City Chiefs know he would be returning for another year in 2026, but the decision had been made in his heart much sooner.

One day after the announcement became official, the 36-year-old tight end admitted he made the decision to return to the Chiefs “about midway through” the 2025 season.

“About midway through the season,” Kelce said on the ‘New Heights' podcast.

When asked why he took so long to shut down the retirement rumors, Kelce said he wanted time to make sure he was not making a decision “based on emotions.”

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“I was taking Jason Kelce's advice. I was taking the advice to take a step back. You gotta let the emotions clear and you gotta have a clear head. I've made decisions based off of emotions, and they haven't always played out the right way. So I think taking a step back, letting the emotions settle down… it still felt like I was hungry enough to get back at it. Obviously, there's still a little bit of that grit and that emotion. I f****** hated the way that s*** ended last year and I wanna make it right.”

Kelce referenced his brother, Jason Kelce, who retired at the end of the 2023 season. Jason Kelce hung up his cleats after spending his entire 13-year career with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Retirement has been an annual topic of discussion for Travis Kelce over the last three years. Many assumed the longtime Chiefs tight end would call it a career after winning Super Bowl LVIII at the end of the 2023 season, but he continues to return on short-term contracts.