Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs have just one game left for the 2025-26 season, since they officially fell out of playoff contention with their loss on December 14 to the Los Angeles Chargers. That final game is against the 2-14 Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, January 4, on the road.
So, heading into the end of the Kansas City Chiefs’ season, there are two questions surrounding Kelce. One is whether he’s going to retire after this season is over, and the other is if he’ll play in the final game against the Raiders.
When teams are out of the playoffs or have already snagged the seeding they need for the postseason, coaches often opt to keep key players out of the final game. The idea is to not risk getting important players injured in a meaningless game. So, for the Chiefs, if Kelce is coming back for the 2026-27 season, pulling him out of the final game against the Raiders would be a move that makes sense.
Well, on Monday, December 29, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid revealed if Kelce will be playing in that last game of the regular season.
Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Shares Travis Kelce News
Reid confirmed on Monday that Kelce will play in the Raiders game for what may be his final time getting in the No. 87 for the Chiefs.
When asked by a reporter if Kelce would play against the Raiders, Reid simply said, “Yes.”
Not to read into things, but Kelce appearing in the final game tips the that towards the idea of him retiring after this season, since he’s not worried about getting injured in the game.
As for whether Reid will return as head coach for the 2026-27 season, the coach was asked about that, too. “I think I’m coming back, right?” he said. “If they’ll have me back, I’ll come back. You never know in this business, but I plan on it.”
Reid also said that Mahomes won’t be in Las Vegas, because he’s continuing to rehab after having surgery to repair his torn ACL.
“He’s in the building working and doing his rehab (and) spending a lot of hours doing it,” Reid said. “He’s really attacked that and will continue to do that. He’s around and sees the guys, but most of his time is being spent rehabbing.”
Looking at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Draft Spot for 2026
One benefit of falling out of the postseason so early is that the Chiefs are slated to have a high draft pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
When asked about the team’s position for the 2026 draft, Reid said that he’s looking forward to seeing what general manager Brett Veach does with a high pick. “It’s not where you want to be, but it is where we are, and we’ve got good people doing the picking,” Reid said, “headed by Brett.”
So, on the bright side, Reid and Veach will cook up a solid draft pick in 2026, which is something the franchise hasn’t been in the position to do for years.
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