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Travis Kelce retirement plans: The Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s retirement decision is tied to his $6 million house.

Travis Kelce is in the midst of making a retirement decision about whether to return to the Kansas City Chiefs for the 2026-27 season. Kelce and the franchise haven’t come to an agreement yet, although both parties have expressed interest in working something out.

Of course, no decision has been announced, and it could go either way. Kelce has publicly stated that he would like to leave on a good note, and that’s not what happened during the Chiefs’ losing 2025-26 season.

“I think I’m still searching for those answers,” Kelce said when asked about retirement before the Kansas City Chiefs’ Christmas game in an interview on Amazon’s Prime Video. “Obviously, the way this one ended with a sour taste in my mouth.”

Kelce added, “I feel motivated but I’ve got to make the right decision for me. I’ve got to hope that if I do wanna come back that the Chiefs are willing to bring me back. It’s a two-way street on that.” Now, it’s getting close to Kelce making that final decision.

Kansas City Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce Has a $6 Million Home Near the Team

One of the questions surrounding Kelce’s retirement is what will happen to his $6 million home in Kansas if he does retire. Will he keep it or move?

In a Wednesday, February 25 feature for Realtor, Charlie Lankston notes that “should Kelce choose to end his time with the Chiefs, it’s unclear whether he would choose to continue living in the area, particularly given that his fiancée owns multiple lavish homes in other locations, including New York City, Rhode Island and Tennessee.”

Lankston adds that Swift and Kelce, according to reports, “were seen looking at different houses in a tony Cleveland suburb, not far from where Kelce was raised.”

Lankston adds that both Kelce and Swift may decide to keep the Kansas property, because they “likely have very emotional ties” to it, since it’s “where the NFL star chose to pop the question over the summer, after turning his backyard into a floral wonderland to surprise the singer.”

Bad News for Travis Kelce If He Decides to Sell His Kansas Home

Kelce may have another motivation to not to sell. According to research from Realtor, his home may have lowered in value.

“Should Kelce choose to offload his Kansas dwelling, he may face something of a struggle to recoup the money he invested in the property, with Realtor.com data revealing that the median listing price in Leawood plummeted by 27.89% between December 2022, less than a year before he bought his dwelling, and December 2025,” Lankston notes.

Having the median home listing price go down by 27.89% in three years is huge. So, that’s another reason for Kelce to stay with the Chiefs and keep his home, for now.

Of course, some think Kelce should absolutely retire this offseason. ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum discussed Kelce during an appearance on “Get Up” on Monday, February 23, and urged the team not to bring him back, due to the good tight ends in the 2026 NFL draft.

“I wouldn’t do it,” Tannenbaum said about bringing Kelce back. “When you’re in the front office, and you’re a head coach, you have to make the honest and sober observation that you want to pay a player for what they’re going to do, not what they’ve done.”

Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter for Heavy Sports covering the NFL, NBA and college football. Anne Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson