Travis Kelce has been having a tough week lately. First, the veteran tight end had the worst game of his career, that too in the Super Bowl LIX. The result? Well, the Eagles just dismantled the Chiefs, handing them a brutal and humiliating defeat. And now? The 36-year-old TE finds himself at the center of retirement rumors. Some say he’s done. Others believe he’s got more left in the tank.

And now, as per the Contract Triggers Calender, released by OvertheCap, it looks like the tight end has to make a decision on his future sooner than expected. Here’s the deal. Kelce’s contract has a major payday coming up. According to OvertheCap, he’s set to rake up a solid $11.5M (plus another $1M bonus due) roster bonus soon. On top of that, his base salary sits at a cool $4.5M.

But wait for it because here’s where things get pretty interesting. You see, Kelce is yet to declare his intention for his future with the Chiefs, but he needs to make a tough call before this contract trigger hits. And in his case, the deadline is a bit over a month—March 15, which is the third day of the 2025 NFL league year. Long story short: Either the Chiefs are gonna roll with it and pay Kelce, or they’re gonna move ahead without him to avoid that big paycheck.

The reason? Well, If Kelce sticks around, that $11.5 million roster bonus is hitting the Chiefs‘ 2025 salary cap. But if he decides to call it quits? Then the Chiefs have so much to do in the off-season as the team would probably rather use that cash to snag some fresh talent in free agency.

Now, Kansas City and Kelce can do two things. First, the Chiefs can delay his roster bonus. But nah, then the General Manager, Brett Veach, will have to face troubles while planning the team’s free agency. Second, the TE can pay back his roster bonus to the Kansas City team if he chooses to retire later. But don’t think that’s gonna make the situation easy for the front office.

You see, if Kelce decides to pay back his bonus, that still wouldn’t free up money in time for the Chiefs to re-sign key players or bring in new talent when free agency kicks off on March 10. Looks like the Chiefs are trapped in a game of ‘pay up or pack up.’ It’s all up to Travis Kelce to make a call now, but it looks like he’s not gonna rush the decision.

Travis Kelce is on his own according to the QB

When Travis Kelce walked off the Caesars Superdome after losing the Super Bowl to the Eagles, not just the Chiefdom but the whole NFL fanbase speculated whether the veteran QB was leaving the gridiron for one final time. Sure, the TE declared before the Super Bowl showdown, “For the most part, I’m planning on being a Kansas City Chiefs and playing football,” while addressing his future. But after the disastrous loss, that decision seems pretty uncertain.

However, when Patrick Mahomes was asked about Kelce’s future, the QB declared that the TE was on his own. “I’ll let Travis make that decision on his own, man. He’s given so much to this team and to the NFL and been such a joy, not only for me to work with but for people to watch,” Mahomes said. “He knows he still has a lot of football left in him. You can see it. He’s done enough to be a gold jacket guy and a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’ll get to spend some time with his family and make that decision on his own.”

Well! Well!! If the 35-year-old TE actually signs those retirement papers, then let’s be real. He’s already got some pretty sweet side gigs lined up. Most notable? He already entered the entertainment world. Whether it’s being an executing producer, starring in a documentary, or making a cameo appearance. The Chiefs’ fans are still gonna watch Travis Kelce on their screens.