Since Patrick Mahomes has come to the Kansas City Chiefs, tight end Travis Kelce has been his go-to guy.
Often seen as the No. 1 weapon defenses have to stop, Kelce and Mahomes have a wavelength similar to Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, where at times, the pair are unstoppable.
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However, Kelce is getting older, and many expect that the 2025 season will be his last in the NFL. Having led the Chiefs in yards, targets, and receptions in each of the last three seasons, general manager Brett Veach says don’t expect that to continue in 2025.
“The numbers won’t be the same,” Veach said via The Kansas City Star. “I mean, you have to acknowledge a certain aspect of that, right? I don’t know if I look at it in terms of, like, expectations for yardage or touchdowns or catches.
“I think that when he’s on the field now, he makes us better. And I think that he’s also a guy that makes the people around him better. And when you have a guy that’s that connected with a quarterback, it’s almost like a little bit of him and Pat (are) a conductor for everybody else.”
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) reacts on the bench in the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome.Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
So to us, it feels like Kelce will be transitioning away from being “the guy” on offense, to the one who helps coach his team on the field, and to open up the field for his teammates.
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After all, the offense will eventually have to get used to playing without the future Hall of Famer tight end, right?
With a receiver unit that includes Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Marquise Brown, and Juju Smith-Schuster, along with fellow tight ends Noah Gray and Jared Wiley, the 2025 season could see Kelce – who seems to be poised to play this one more year before riding off into the sunset with sweetheart Taylor Swift – take a step back and allow others to flourish.
And going by Veach’s words, that is precisely what is going to happen.
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