Travis Kelce has long been the heartbeat of the Kansas City Chiefs, but as the 2026 offseason begins, with his contract expired n 2025, whether he will be back remains uncertain.  

For the Chiefs, Kelce will always be the irreplaceable tight end; they still want him back. While Kelce has often talked about possibly retiring on his New Heights podcast, he hasn’t made a final decision yet.

On February 16, an American Sports radio personality, Craig Carton, shared a post on X about the rumours of the Chiefs star to join the Giants.

“Rumor is that Travis Kelce wants to come back for another year… Kelce wants to play for the NY Giants! He and his wife can live in NYC! It’s just a rumor — do not sleep on the Giants signing Kelce this offseason!”

With the recent joining of John Harbaugh as a head coach with the Giants, and with $7 million cap space They went through five different rosters last year and still have many positions to fill this offseason.

The Giants view Kelce as someone to guide their young roster and provide a reliable safety valve for developing quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Kelce has been one of the most dominant tight ends. In the last regular season, he recorded 76 receptions for 851 yards and 5 touchdowns, showing he still performs at a high level.

Over his career, he has amassed more than 1,080 catches for over 13,000 receiving yards and 82 touchdowns. While many believe he would be a great fit for the Giants, the majority of his fans decline the idea of Kelce being anywhere else.

According to them, he would prefer retirement rather than joining any team apart from the Chiefs.

NFL Scouts View Kelce as Better Safety Net for Dart Than Waller

Travis Kelce has always been one of the main focuses for the Chiefs. NFL evaluators increasingly view him as a far more reliable "safety " than Darren Waller, who spent his last season with the Miami Dolphins after being part of the Giants.

While Waller still flashes elite speed in the red zone, evidenced by his six touchdowns in limited action for Miami, his inconsistent catch rate and frequent stints on injured reserve make it difficult for a team to build a cohesive offensive rhythm.

In contrast, the league consensus is that Kelce offers "instant credibility" for a rebuilding franchise.

Under the disciplined leadership of John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, the Giants are searching for a player who can serve as both a primary chain-mover and a locker room stabilizer.

Whether it will be Kelce or the Giants, they have to continue their search. It is still a question.

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Written by

Shreya Mishra

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu