Travis Kelce’s HOF trainer hints 2026 NFL season could be his last

Three-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce has already had a milestone summer away from football, but another major moment could be on the horizon.

Kelce confirmed in March that he would return for his 14th NFL season, putting months of retirement speculation to rest.

Not long after his July 3 wedding to singer Taylor Swift, Kelce appeared in an Instagram photo shared by Pro Football Hall of Famer Cris Carter, who added text across the image that quickly raised eyebrows.

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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) looks on before kickoff against the New Orleans Saints during an NFL game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Oct. 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

“Know the goat is preparing for THE LAST DANCE. Next stop Canton/HOF,” Carter wrote on Monday.

Carter currently works as Florida Atlantic football’s director of player development, and the post referenced his years of work with Kelce. Andrew Spruill, Kelce’s longtime personal strength and conditioning coach, also appeared alongside them.

“Andrew and I started with Travis before his rookie year in the NFL,” Carter wrote.

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Kelce’s offseason work also drew attention from Johnny Olsen, another trainer with extensive ties to the Chiefs star, as he prepares for the season kickoff.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce greets fans as he arrives before training camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri, on July 28, 2023. (Jay Biggerstaff/USA TODAY Sports)

Carter’s post sparked reaction on social media, with some fans questioning the reference to Kelce’s future.

“Can Travis be allowed to announce his own retirement, please? Everything about him makes headlines. Are you saying this for attention? He’s always said he doesn’t want a farewell tour or the focus to be on him during the season. Travis has earned the right to announce himself when he sees fit,” one fan wrote in a social media post.

Kelce enters the 2026 campaign with more than 13,000 career regular-season receiving yards and 82 touchdowns.

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The Chiefs’ decade-long run of playoff appearances came to an abrupt end in Week 15 last season after they came up short at Arrowhead Stadium in a game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes look on during an NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, on Nov. 5, 2023. (Getty Images)

Superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes sustained a season-ending ACL injury when he scrambled to try and pick up some yards in the game’s final minutes. Mahomes participated in seven-on-seven drills in May, roughly five months removed from a procedure to address a torn ACL and LCL.

In January, Mahomes said he was aiming to be ready for the Chiefs’ regular-season opener.

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