The Kansas City Chiefs dropped to 6-10 on the 2025 campaign when they suffered a 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos on Christmas Day. All throughout this game, there was quite a bit of chatter surrounding veteran tight end Travis Kelce, as retirement rumors continue to swirl around him. And while everyone believes this could be the end for Kelce, superstar defender Chris Jones isn’t going to let him leave without putting up a fight.
After contemplating retirement last offseason, Kelce opted to run it back one more time with the Chiefs. The end result has been a wildly disappointing 2025 campaign for Kansas City, leading some to wonder whether Kelce could return again in 2026 in an effort to go out on a higher note. When asked about the retirement rumors swirling around Kelce, Jones made it very clear how he feels about the situation.
Chris Jones Dishes on Travis Kelce Retirement Rumors
Kelce has long been regarded as one of the top tight ends of his generation, and even though his production has begun to trend in the wrong direction, he’s remained a very consistent option in the passing game for the Chiefs. In 16 games this season, Kelce has racked up 73 receptions for 839 yards and five touchdowns, which helped him earn his 11th-straight Pro Bowl selection.
On the defensive side of the ball, Jones has become one of Kelce’s most trusted teammates in Kansas City, as these guys have been playing together since 2016. One of the most dominant interior defensive linemen in the league, Jones is putting together another strong season, as he has 26 tackles, five sacks, and two pass deflections through 16 games of action.
While Patrick Mahomes receives his fair share of praise for the Chiefs’ success during his time with the team, Kelce and Jones have been right alongside him for the team’s recent run that has seen K.C. win three Super Bowl championships. Jones knows Kelce is approaching the end of his career, but he pleaded for him to return for one more season on Thursday night.
“We’ve been through so much together. Just one more [season]. Just one more,” Jones said of Kelce after the Chiefs’ latest loss.
Chiefs Looking to Finish 2025 Campaign on a High Note in Week 18
GettyKansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.
What Kelce will end up doing remains to be seen. On one hand, he has virtually nothing left to accomplish in the NFL, and he could walk away from the game today and be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. However, nobody expected that Kansas City would miss out on the playoffs this year, and you can bet that if Kelce was planning on retiring entering the year, this is not how he’d want to go out.
Before Kelce makes a decision on his future, he and the rest of his teammates have one more game to get through before turning the page to 2026. The Chiefs will finish their 2025 campaign with a fairly meaningless game against the Las Vegas Raiders, but they should have a shot to get back in the win column to wrap up the year. After the clock hits zero in that one, though, all bets are off the table when it comes to Kelce’s retirement decision.
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