Just days before Super Bowl 60 kicks off, the NFL is taking a moment to honor the best of the 2025 season with its annual NFL Honors banquet on Thursday night. It's the league’s red carpet night-where stars from across the NFL gather to celebrate MVPs, standout rookies, and the league’s most impactful off-field leaders, like the Walter Payton Man of the Year. And yes, even with the Chiefs missing the postseason, Travis Kelce is in the building.
For the first time in four seasons, Kelce isn’t prepping for a Super Bowl. But that hasn’t kept the future Hall-of-Famer from showing up in San Francisco for the festivities.
He’s seated with his brother Jason, the recently retired Eagles center, and the two have a pair of open seats next to them-reserved for their plus-ones. Naturally, that’s stirred up the same question that’s followed the Chiefs for the last three seasons: is Taylor Swift in attendance?
As of now, there’s been no confirmation that Swift is at the NFL Honors. Though she wasn’t a frequent presence at Chiefs games this past season-largely due to security concerns-she’s been a steady supporter of Kelce, especially after the couple tied the knot back in June.
While the spotlight often follows the pop superstar, the bigger question in football circles is what’s next for Kelce himself. At 36, and after 13 grueling NFL seasons, he’s earned the right to take his time. Speaking with reporters recently, Kelce said he’s focused on “being a human” for a few weeks before making any decisions about his football future.
The Chiefs' 2025 campaign was a rough one, ending with a 6-11 record and marking the first time in Kelce’s career that Kansas City missed the playoffs. The turning point came in Week 15, when Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending ACL tear-a blow that effectively derailed any postseason hopes and cast a long shadow over the team’s outlook heading into 2026.
Kelce’s own performance was solid, though not at the elite level we’ve come to expect. He finished the season with 76 receptions for 851 yards-numbers that most tight ends would dream of, but a step down from his usual All-Pro standard. He opted out of the 2026 Pro Bowl to let his body heal and later addressed his future on the New Heights podcast, saying that if he feels ready for another “21-week run,” he’d be back “in a heartbeat.”
There are signs the door is still wide open. Newly re-hired offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has said he’s “fired up” about the possibility of working with Kelce again. And Chiefs owner Clark Hunt has made it clear he wants his veteran tight end back, praising Kelce’s leadership and continued impact on the team.
Still, the decision ultimately lies with Kelce. And he’s made it clear that when the time comes, he wants to make that call surrounded by the people who matter most-his friends and family.
For now, he’s in San Francisco, enjoying the NFL’s biggest night outside the Super Bowl. Whether or not Taylor Swift joins him, one thing is certain: Travis Kelce remains one of the most compelling figures in the NFL, both on and off the field.