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According to Robert Griffin III, Travis Kelce might be one step closer to retirement because of Patrick Mahomes’ recent injury. The Chiefs’ quarterback tore his ACL and LCL at the end of a game against the Los Angeles Chargers. His recovery timeline pushes up against the start of the 2026 season. Griffin predicted that if Mahomes cannot play, Kelce will retire.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback tore his ACL and LCL

On Sunday, Dec. 14, Mahomes suffered a season-ending injury in a game against the Chargers. One day later, he underwent surgery and has already started to focus on rehabilitation.

“As you know, in the past with Patrick and his injuries, he attacks them and does very well,” Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder said, per The New York Post. “He’s in that mode right now. I talk to him every day, and coach [Andy Reid] does too, and he’s already on it.”

Typically, the recovery for this type of injury takes about nine months. This will push the timeline up to the start of the 2026 season. Any setbacks could mean that Mahomes could be unable to play for the first several games.

“The ballpark on this thing is nine months,” Burkholder said. “Could be a month or two less, month or two more. You never know what goes on, and everyone is designed differently bio-mechanically, so you just have to go through it, and he’s got position-specific things he’s got to do.”

Mahomes is hopeful that he will make a strong return to the game soon.

Robert Griffin III speculated that Travis Kelce might retire because of Patrick Mahomes’ injury

Kelce, who is 36, is already at the center of much speculation about his position with the team next season. Many believe he could retire after this season. Griffin believes this could happen if Mahomes is not medically fit to play in 2026.

“What do you do with Travis Kelce now?” he asked his wife, Grete Griffin, on his Outta Pocket With RG3 podcast. “Kelce had already accepted [that] it felt like they were not as good anymore. Like, does Travis Kelce retire?”

Grete noted that while she feels like Kelce has “slowed down,” she still thinks he had a good season. She does not believe he will retire after this season.

Travis Kelce opened up about Patrick Mahomes’ injury

After a series of dominant seasons, the Chiefs were eliminated from the playoffs. Kelce didn’t touch on his future with the team, but he said he would give everything he had in the three remaining games. He also noted that watching Mahomes get injured in the final minute of the game didn’t feel real to him.

“And on a freakish play to see one five go down like that, man, it f***ing, it was almost like it wasn’t real,” he said on his New Heights podcast. “And s*** just sucks, man.”

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Still, he feels confident that Mahomes will make a return at the start of the 2026 season.

“He’s a warrior, man. I’m telling you,” he said. “This guy’s played through everything, battled through everything, has been crowned champion because he’s battled through everything, and he’s gonna battle through this. It’s the only way this guy is wired, man. He’s a fearless, fearless warrior when it comes to this football thing, and he’s gonna make sure that he comes back stronger than ever.”

The Chiefs will next face off against the Tennessee Titans on Dec. 21.

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