Travis Kelce Hints at Returning Next Season After Kansas City Chiefs’ Coaching Hire

Eric Bieniemy is back as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator, a job he held from 2018-22. Those were five All-Pro years for Kelce.

Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on during the national anthem prior to a game against the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Jan. 4, 2026. Ian Maule/Getty Images

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is in a race to return to the field for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season after tearing his ACL this past season. While Chiefs Kingdom would be ecstatic at the sight of Mahomes throwing passes when next year begins, they would be even more over the moon if he’s throwing passes to Travis Kelce. The tight end has no injury concerns, but he also hasn’t indicated that he will return in 2026, rather than retire after a 13-year career destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

However, Kelce may have hinted at his plans when discussing the return of Eric Bieniemy to the Chiefs’ coaching staff. Bieniemy, who joined Kansas City the same year that Kelce did in 2013, spent a decade with the organization before departing prior to the 2023 season. He’s now back in the fold as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator, much to the delight of Kelce.

“I think it’s great. … I can’t wait to see him back in the building,” Kelce said on his New Heights podcast. “He’s one of my favorite coaches of all time, one of my favorite people of all time. I’ve had so many unbelievable growing moments under him as a player, as a person, and I just love the guy. It’s going to be awesome to see him back in the building and see him back wearing the Chiefs logo, baby.”

Of course, if Kelce chooses to retire, then he wouldn’t be back in the Chiefs facility and able to see Bieniemy.

Perhaps the Chiefs were aware of Kelce’s fondness for Bieniemy and brought him back as a way to persuade Kelce to return for at least one more season. Bieniemy served as the Chiefs’ running backs coach from 2013-17 before being promoted to offensive coordinator. He served in that role from 2018-22, then spent one year as the Washington Commanders’ offensive coordinator.

In 2024, the coach went back to college and was UCLA’s offensive coordinator, then spent the 2025 NFL season as the running backs coach for the Chicago Bears. He got to work under first-year head coach Ben Johnson, and Kelce is eager to see what Bieniemy learned from one of the brightest offensive minds in football.

“E.B. and who he is as a coach, you can see kind of his personality, what he brings to the table in that Chicago team,” Kelce stated. “I know Ben Johnson has his own version of that. He’s a very tough guy, and what he did in Detroit, he brought over as well. And you can see those running backs over in Chicago and their body of work was definitely an Eric Bieniemy style of football.”

The Chiefs’ offensive coordinator position became open when Matt Nagy, who held the role the past three seasons, decided not to re-sign as he sought head coaching opportunities. Thus, Bieniemy will be succeeding Nagy for a second time in the role, as Bieniemy also succeeded the latter as Chiefs OC when Nagy became the Chicago Bears’ head coach in 2018.

In Kelce’s five seasons with Bieniemy as OC, Kelce ranked second in the NFL in receptions (507), third in receiving yards (6,444), and fourth in receiving touchdowns (47). Those rankings include wide receivers, and when only looking at tight ends, Kelce led his position in all three categories.

He also made the All-Pro team all five years, with three first-team selections and two second-team selections. The Chiefs made it to three Super Bowls over that span, winning two. Kelce was also a Pro Bowl selection all five years.

When the 2025 season ended for Kansas City in Week 18, Kelce said, “Who knows,” regarding when he would decide on retiring. Bieniemy’s return could accelerate that decision, but the tight end has said he plans on letting the Chiefs know in advance of the NFL Draft and free agency, in the event that they have to replace him.

Already the NFL’s all-time leader with 178 career postseason receptions, Kelce has more records and milestones ahead of him if he returns. He’s two touchdowns shy of tying Jerry Rice for the most touchdowns (22) in playoff history and needs 168 yards to pass Rice for the most receiving yards (2,245) in postseason history.

Additionally, it could be Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season that Kelce moves up the receiving yardage list for regular-season play at his position. He needs just 45 more yards to top Jason Witten for the second-most receiving yards by a tight end all-time.  Former Chiefs and Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez leads with 15,127 yards.