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Future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce had one of the worst seasons of his NFL career for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025. Couple that with his recent engagement to pop superstar Taylor Swift, and it’s easy to understand why the 36-year-old mulled retirement following the season.
Ultimately, Kelce opted to return on a one-year, $12 million contract with the Chiefs that could be worth up to $15 million with incentives, and he says that Swift played a big role in the decision.
“Taylor and I share the same love for what we do..
It’s so motivating watching her do what she does..
I still got some juice left to play the game of football” ~ @tkelce #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/UWDQiPRIcE
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 10, 2026
Taylor Swift Wanted Travis Kelce To Return To The Kansas City Chiefs
Kelce appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday to discuss his new contract and decision to put off retirement for (at least) another year.
During the appearance, he went in-depth about the discussions he and Swift had about the looming decision and gave fans a small peek behind the curtains at their personal lives.
“We share the same love for what we do, and fortunately, we’ve had this desire since we were kids in our selective professions,” Kelce said of Swift. “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. Something like that definitely motivates me to say, ‘You know what, I’m not done, either.’ I’ve still got some ideas in the back of my mind and still got some juice left to play this game.”
Now, Kelce did struggle in 2025. But that’s only compared to his high standards.
He caught 76 passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns, despite the fact that star quarterback Patrick Mahomes missed three games after tearing his ACL. The reception total was his lowest in a decade, but it still ranked sixth in the NFL.
So, as he says, Kelce clearly still has some gas left in the tank. And with Mahomes on track to return at or around Week 1 of the NFL season, the Chiefs could yet again have one of the most formidable offenses in the league.