Chiefs' Kelce barely considered retirement: 'I'm still in love with this game'

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce says his thoughts on potentially retiring this offseason were "short and brief" and he's excited to try to add another Super Bowl to his resume.

"The Chiefs knew where I was the entire time on it," Kelce said Tuesday on "The Pat McAfee Show."

He added, "I'm still in love with this game. I still love going to work, putting on the pads, grinding it out, and just playing the game. I think my best opportunity was playing for the Chiefs yet again and running this thing back with Pat Mahomes and Coach (Andy) Reid. Got my guy Eric Bieniemy - Coach Bieniemy - back. There's a lot of pieces in Kansas City that I absolutely love, and I can't wait to get back in the building with them."

Kelce agreed to return to the Chiefs on a one-year deal reportedly worth up to $15 million. The veteran never hit the open market, as he told Kansas City on Monday morning that he wanted to continue playing there, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The 36-year-old has spent his entire 13-year career with the Chiefs. He's racked up 11 Pro Bowls and four first-team All-Pro nods. He ranks third among all tight ends in league history in receiving yards (13,002) since being selected in the third round of the 2013 draft.

Kelce led the Chiefs in targets (108), receptions (76), receiving yards (851), and touchdowns (5) last season.

The Chiefs are looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs last season for the first time since 2014. Mahomes' status for Week 1 remains uncertain as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered in mid-December.

However, the team agreed to terms with running back Kenneth Walker III on Monday, giving its offense a new weapon in 2026. The Super Bowl MVP reportedly inked a three-year deal worth up to $45 million.