Travis Kelce and Andy Reid aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
Despite retirement rumors for the past few seasons, both Kelce and Reid re-signed with the Chiefs this offseason on massive contract extensions.
Kelce inked a two-year deal Monday that will make him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL and pay him an additional $34.25 million over the final two years of his contract, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. However, Kelce is still only signed through the 2025 season, not the 2027 season that was originally reported. Kelce will be 36 years old when his deal expires.
Reid, meanwhile, became the highest-paid head coach in the NFL before the 2024 NFL Draft and will remain with the Chiefs through 2029. The terms of his deal were not immediately reported.
This commitment is huge for the Chiefs. While both shook off speculation before KC's second consecutive Super Bowl win, there were concerns that either or both could leave the NFL soon. Kelce recently turned 34 and put together a Hall-of-Fame career while his brother, Jason, was also planning to retire. Reid, meanwhile will be the oldest active head coach in the NFL in 2024 at 66 years old and entering his 26th season.
However, considering Kelce's deal isn't really an extension, the retirement rumors will resurface in a few years. Reid, though, appears to be around for the longhaul.
Travis Kelce not retiring in 2024
Kelce had a down season — by his standards — after he caught 93 receptions for 984 yards and five touchdowns in 2023. He also missed his first game due to injury since his rookie season when he suffered a preseason bone bruise and sat out Week 1.
Between his age, his off-field work in media as well as his highly-publicized relationship with Taylor Swift, it wasn't a foregone conclusion Kelce would want to return for a 12th season after he accomplished so much in the past decade. However, Kelce told reporters in January he had "no reason not to stop playing football" and that he has "no desire to stop anytime soon."
Words are one thing, but putting ink on paper is another. And now, Kelce is on the books for another two years in Kansas City.
Andy Reid not retiring in 2024
Reid's return was not a sure thing, either. He's 66 years old with three Super Bowl rings to his name. There isn't much left for him to prove from the sidelines.
Being the oldest head coach in the NFL didn't appear to deter Reid, though. He joked ahead of the 2024 playoffs that he's "not that old" and that he'll know when he wants to retire but "today's not that day."
Like Kelce, now Reid has committed himself to the Chiefs through the 2029 season. Whether or not that comes to fruition is another thing, but he appears ready to continue coaching for the next several years.
Chiefs core is intact for another Super Bowl run
The Chiefs want to do something no team in the NFL has ever accomplished: Win three consecutive Super Bowls.
That goal is a tough one considering the gamut ahead of them, but the Chiefs did well to keep their core intact for the upcoming season. Patrick Mahomes will be back of course, and now Kelce and Reid officially returned on new deals, although that was never truly in question for 2024. Both publicly stated they'd be back.
The biggest names to stay are defensive tackle Chris Jones and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Jones was an impending free agent who commanded a large contract extension — one the Chiefs were willing to hand in after the two sides agreed to a five-year contract, worth $158.75 million. Jones' return was at the expense of another key defensive player: cornerback L'Jarius Sneed. The Chiefs sent him to the Titans, who were able to re-sign him to a massive extension.
The Chiefs added a few key members in free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft as well, including wide receivers Marquise Brown and first-round rookie Xavier Worthy. The Chiefs are gearing up for another run at the Super Bowl with this cast of mostly-the-same names.
