Patrick Mahomes has clear feelings on Andy Reid retirement while Travis Kelce threatened to quit NFL

The Kansas City Chiefs have kicked off training camp, and Patrick Mahomes is present and accounted for.

Much of the offseason had been dominated by discussion around the franchise quarterback, who tore his ACL and LCL last December.

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A typical recovery and rehabilitation program would have put Mahomes on track to be back on the grass right around Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season in September.

But Mahomes is no typical athlete, and was cleared for Day 1 of camp.

“It was always the goal to be able to practice when we got to training camp, so we kind of hit that next step, and now it’s going to be about building and keep getting better and better so that whenever the regular season comes along I can try to be available and ready to play,” he said last week.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, meanwhile, believes Mahomes will be ready to go for the season-opener against the Denver Broncos on September 14.

“I’m optimistic and I know he is,” Big Red said.

“He’s extremely optimistic. But I think you’ve got to see how things go. Let’s just see where we’re at and not make any predictions or anything else. Take it day by day and see where it goes.”

This season will be massive for Kansas City.

Mahomes is back to lead the offense for what could be Travis Kelce’s last dance.

The legendary tight end, who married Taylor Swift this summer, has long flirted with the idea of retirement.

But after a poor showing in 2025, he’s back for one more season, and the Chiefs will want to send him out on a high.

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If Kelce does soon call time on a legendary career, Mahomes will play on without his close friend and favorite weapon.

After all, he’s just signed a record-breaking contract extension, despite the serious injury he sustained in 2025.

But there’s also the question of who Mahomes could be playing under in years to come.

Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce have made feelings clear on Andy Reid retirement

Since arriving in Kansas City back in 2017, the three-time Super Bowl champion has known only one head coach — Big Red.

Reid has been in his post for 13 seasons, and is about to enter Year 14 with the Chiefs.

At 68, he knows he can’t go on forever and naturally, there has been speculation around his future in recent times.

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He quickly confirmed in December 2025, after a disappointing 6-11 season, that he would return this year.

But before that, ahead of Super Bowl LVIII in February 2024, there was plenty of buzz around Reid.

Fellow coaching veterans Bill Belichick, Nick Saban and Pete Carroll had all left their posts in January of that year, and speculation suggested Big Red could follow, even though he’d just secured back-to-back world championships.

Some even thought he would ride off into the sunset, instead of chasing a history-making three-peat.

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As it happened, of course, Reid returned to sign a record-breaking contract — and Mahomes was confident of his comeback all along.

“Other than spending time with his grand-kids, he doesn’t do any of that stuff,” the QB said at the time.

“He’s all about football and cheeseburgers.”

Kelce, meanwhile, insisted that if Reid was to call it a day, he would follow.

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“Coach Reid knows how much I love to play for him, how much I love to be a product of his coaching career,” the tight end said.

“I’m not playing for anybody else but Big Red. If he calls it quits, I’m out there with him, man.”

Mahomes, Kelce and Reid all returned following back-to-back Super Bowl wins, and while they fell short of that three-peat against the Philadelpha Eagles in February 2025, before missing out on the playoffs a year later, they all be back again in 2026.

This coming season looks like the last ride for Kelce, but Mahomes will play on for longer — and Big Red should be right there alongside him.