NFL announce Chiefs Week 18 schedule decision amid fears Travis Kelce will retire after Raiders clash

The 2025 NFL regular season is coming to an end.

And with that, the league have announced its schedule for Week 18, the final week of the regular season, taking place this weekend.

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One key game this week is the Kansas City Chiefs‘ clash against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Both teams have endured dismal campaigns and have been eliminated from playoff contention.

However, this could be the final game of veteran tight end Travis Kelce‘s career amid rumors of his retirement.

Kelce last addressed retirement rumours ahead of the Chiefs’ Christmas Day defeat to the Denver Broncos.

“Honestly, I’ve been just focused on trying to win football games, man,” Kelce said.

“I’ll let that be a decision that I make with my family, friends, the Chiefs organization, when the time comes.”

With all eyes on the dead rubber, the NFL has announced the Raiders and Chiefs will face off on Sunday at 4:25 pm ET, and it will be broadcast on CBS.

Andy Reid confirmed that Kelce will play against the Raiders when talking to reporters on Monday.

Kelce, who is considered one of the greatest tight ends of all time, is an 11-time Pro Bowler and has spent his entire career in Kansas.

He was selected in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft and has gone on to earn four All-Pro selections and win three Super Bowls.

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Last week, Kelce cut an emotional figure as he spent time with fans after playing in what could turn out to be his last game ahead at Arrowhead Stadium.

“A whole lot of emotions,” Kelce said during a post-game press conference.

“You’ve got everybody in the world watching you. You get to go out there with the young guys on prime-time television. Young guys getting an opportunity to taste what this NFL life is like.

“You only get a few of those where you get to stand there and appreciate [60,000], 70,000 Chiefs fans cheering for you,” he explained. “I always embrace that moment.

“You feel the generations of happiness and the love that [the fans] have. It’s a beautiful thing, man.”

Kelce plays the Raiders on Sunday, having accumulated 839 yards and five touchdowns on 73 catches in 16 games.

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Elsewhere in the NFL, there is still plenty to play for with divisions, playoff places, and seeds still undecided.

The first key game is the clash between the Carolina Panthers (8-8) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9).

Both teams lost last week, meaning the winner of the NFC South clash will secure the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoffs, provided the Atlanta Falcons (7-9) lose to the New Orleans Saints (6-10).

If the Falcons beat the Saints, the Panthers will win the division regardless of their result against the Buccaneers.

Then you have the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7), whose defeat to the Cleveland Browns (4-12) means they have set up a winner-takes-all game against the Baltimore Ravens (8-8) for the AFC North crown.

Furthermore, the Denver Broncos (13-3), the New England Patriots (13-3) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4) are all still in contention for the AFC’s top seed.

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