That juice also continues to flow as Kelce sees that the Chiefs aren’t just reeling from Patrick Mahomes’ knee injury or a shocking 6-11 season in 2025. On the same day it was announced that Kelce would return in 2026, the Chiefs also signed quarterback Kenneth Walker III, fresh off a Super Bowl victory in the Sea and Patriots Super Bowl.
“Running back, baby, and the Chiefs are making moves,” Kelce said. “We got Brett Veach and Andy Reid to get the Super Bowl MVP – are you kidding me?”
Kelce admitted it didn’t take him long to realize he wanted more time on the field. The end of last season may have been difficult, but the qualifiers have helped turn the tide quickly.
“I’m not going to lie. It was pretty short and sweet and the Chiefs knew where I was the whole time,” Kelce said of his decision to play in 2026. “I think you always have to take a step back, take a breath, let the emotions of the season settle and see where the body is and stuff.
“But, man, I’m still, I’m still in love with this game. I still love going to work, putting on the cleats, grinding it out and just, you know, playing the game. And I think my best opportunity was playing for the Chiefs again and running it back with Pat Mahomes and coach Reid. Got my boy, (offensive coordinator) Eric Bienie is absolutely back in the City. love and I can’t wait to get back in the building with them.”
Kelce also looks back at it with Bieniemy, who was the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2022, through a Swiftian lens. She uses “easter eggs” — hidden messages or references to the past — in her music, and Kelce understood the importance of that … without trying to give away too many of her trade secrets.
“Yeah, the thing is, when I started dating Taylor, I started to understand what Easter eggs were,” he said when asked about his words after Bieniemy returned to KC on Jan. 22. “You just start putting these things out all over the planet, and everybody starts taking action.
Kelce was coy about it. But he was less about the Chiefs’ return to glory. Granted, Kelce isn’t ready to take on the world right now—he’s had “a few too many garage beers” to do so. But once he’s in decent shape, Kelce said he’s ready for the storm brewing behind the scenes.
“I think the biggest thing about coming back was that we’re going to be even hungrier than we’ve been before,” Kelce said. “Talking to Pat, talking to coach (Andy) Reid and the guys, there’s a lot of dog mentality right now to fix this, and that mentality itself is already motivating me to get to where I need to be this season.”
That and a supportive wife.