For the Kansas City Chiefs, the 2024-25 campaign didn’t end how anyone wanted it to. That’s especially true for superstar tight end Travis Kelce, who had a poor showing in Super Bowl LIX.
The future Hall of Fame man capped off a down year with a down game when it mattered the most. Now, he’s back for his 13th NFL season and is focused on getting back on track. The league’s message seems to be that he’ll have to earn his crown back, though.
In his annual survey of NFL executives, coaches and scouts, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN revealed the results for tight ends on July 11. Kelce cracked the top five, but he brings up the rear of that group. The No. 5 ranking is his lowest in quite some time.
Travis Kelce Receives Varied Reviews, Evaluator Acknowledges Decline
Kelce’s highest rank from those polled was fourth. His lowest, however, was out of the top 10 altogether. That marks a relative fall from grace for perhaps the best tight end of a generation.
According to Fowler, it was apparent to evaluators that “Kelce played heavier” for the Chiefs in 2024.
“While a team source believes any weight issues did not affect his play dramatically, lack of explosive plays was a problem,” Fowler wrote. “His 8.5 yards per catch were a career low by a wide margin.”
Whether it was weight or Father Time working against Kelce, he undoubtedly slowed down. His 6.2 yards per target was tied with Tyler Conklin and lower than that of Dalton Schultz. Kelce’s average yards per reception post-catch has declined in every season dating back to 2021, but it cratered to just 3.5 this past campaign. He also had a career-low number of broken tackles (3) during the regular season.
One of the folks Fowler surveyed tipped his cap to Kelce’s mind still being sharp, but it’s obvious that his athleticism isn’t the same.
“For sure [he showed] signs of physical decline, but you still have to worry about him because he’s such a smart player with a great connection with the QB,” a veteran pro personnel evaluator said. “Just doesn’t get open like he used to.”
Opposing Conference Exec: Kelce Can Still Play Great Football for Chiefs
It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Kelce, though. Not many players can embrace the third-highest target (133) and reception (97) share at age 35. He managed to do so while producing the sixth-most catches of 20-plus yards (9). The divisional round of the playoffs saw him turn back the clock in a major way for the Chiefs. Versus the Houston Texans, he hauled in 7 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown.
A front office member from the opposing conference points to a stat line Kelce is still capable of posting. In fact, he had the exact numbers in Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints.
“He’s still awesome,” an NFC executive said of Kelce. “It might not look as exotic as he used to, but you still look up and he’s got nine for 70.”
At this point, the best thing Kelce can do besides stay healthy is hope those around him do the same. With Rashee Rice back in the fold, that makes the aging tight end the second option on offense. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Xavier Worthy will also take some pressure off him. Not only that, but backup tight end Noah Gray was as involved as ever a year ago. It won’t all be on Kelce to duplicate his 2024 volume in 2025.
If the volume comes down, perhaps the efficiency will come up. With Kelce’s 36th birthday arriving in October, however, anything is on the table.
