The future of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce remains uncertain as he weighs retirement following his 13th NFL season.
If he chooses to return, he would enter unrestricted free agency, giving both him and the Chiefs the chance to consider all options. However, the prevailing expectation is that, if he does return, it will be with Kansas City.
Should Kelce decide to hang up his cleats, a lucrative opportunity could await him in the sports media space, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.
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The broadcasting landscape could see major shake-ups over the next year. Al Michaels may retire after the 2026–27 season, Kirk Herbstreit’s contract with Prime Video is expiring, leaving the Thursday Night Football crew in flux, and ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” duo of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman is entering the final year of their deals following next year’s Super Bowl.
All of this sets up a potentially chaotic offseason — one that could provide Kelce with an ideal opening to step into a broadcast or pre/postgame studio role, similar to what his brother Jason Kelce does with ESPN for MNF.
Marchand noted that Kelce is likely to play another season, but if he did enter broadcasting, he could command at least $15 million as a studio analyst, with even higher potential if he took an in-game broadcasting role.
Currently, CBS, Fox Sports, and NBC appear to have their lead broadcasting crews intact, though NBC is reportedly considering a revamp of its pregame show, “Football Night in America,” with Tony Dungy expected to exit, according to The Athletic.
While multiple networks could present opportunities for Kelce, the most realistic post-retirement options seem to be Prime Video for Thursday Night Football or ESPN if the Buck–Aikman tandem were to change — though the latter appears unlikely at this time.
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