As the Kansas City Chiefs confront an unexpectedly early offseason, questions surrounding Travis Kelce’s NFL future have grown louder. Amid the speculation, his brother is offering measured advice shaped by experience.

According to long-time Phialdelphia Eagles center Jason, the key for Travis will be to ‘step back, take time and let clarity come naturally’ as he ponders the potential of stepping into post-football life. Speaking in the days following Kansas City’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers that ensured a disappointing finish to the 2025 campaign, the elder Kelce emphasised that major career decisions are best made only after emotions from the season have settled — particularly one marked by inconsistency, frustration and the knee injury suffered by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the closing minutes of Sunday’s loss.

“In my opinion, to nail that decision, you’ve got to step away from the game for a little bit,” Kelce Sr was quoted by Fox News. “Play these last games, enjoy them with your team-mates, enjoy that with your coaches … and then let it sink in. It’ll come to you with time.”

Travis has been the subject of retirement speculation throughout the year, but it intensified as the Chiefs failed to reach the postseason for the first time in the Mahomes era, snapping a long run of playoff appearances and underscoring how abruptly fortunes can change in the NFL. The season’s defining moment came when Mahomes suffered a serious knee injury, an event that resonated deeply throughout the locker room, even if the campaign was already slipping away from KC long before that.

Refusing to speak with journalists after the game, Kelce Jr visibly cut a figure concerned for his long-time partner-in-crime and frustrated with how quickly the Chiefs season had unravelled.

“Sorry guys, it’s not the time,” the 36-year-old told reporters in the locker room on Sunday, per ESPN, who also disclosed that receivers Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy had slipped away before media availability began. Rather than pushing his brother toward a specific outcome, however, Jason emphasises the importance of perspective.

“There’s so many emotions with this game right after a season, especially with the way this one’s been,” he said, “It’s been so up and down [and], right now, it’s too fresh. You gotta step away from it, you gotta think about it. And then, yeah, [the decision] will come to you.”

Travis, of course, is in a high-profile relationship with singer Taylor Swift and, while not as overt this season, that too is likely to play into any future retirement decision. Factor in the Chiefs’ salary cap situation and the future for veteran players like Kelce and Chris Jones remain uncertain from a team perspective, prompting ESPN’s Adam Schefter to float the possibility of retirement.

“We’ll see what he ultimately decides at the end of the year,” Schefter told The Pat McAfee Show. “I think his future is very much up in the air. I think it’s distinctly possible that one of the greatest NFL connections of all time, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, may have played their last down together. It’s hard to imagine, but that’s a real possibility here.”