The Kansas City Chiefs are close to being eliminated from the playoffs after a home defeat against the Houston Texans. Still, that’s not the only issue the team might be worried about. After the game, quarterback Patrick Mahomes was brutally honest when talking about tight end Travis Kelce‘s future.
“Every season that I’ve had with him these last few years I try to cherish because you never know,” Mahomes said when asked about Kelce’s future. “He got himself in great shape this year and he’s played some great football. He’ll have the option to do whatever he wants to do after this season, but I know one thing is he’ll give everything he has the rest of the season to try to give us a chance to make a playoff run.”
Kelce is in his 13th season in the NFL. During the last couple of years, he’s looked out of his prime, and even if this season’s numbers are somewhat better than 2024’s, Kelce has lost explosiveness and ability to always be open. Kelce has 727 yards and five touchdowns this year.
Something’s off with Kelce
Every player is bound to have some decline at some point. After all, father time is undefeated. Still, while Kelce’s numbers are bound to surpass last year’s numbers, there are some key moments where Kelce just doesn’t look as sharp as he has been throughout his career. See the clip below as an example.
That was Kelce’s bread and butter back in the day, now it costs Mahomes interceptions. Kelce was the most reliable weapon in the NFL, and now it’s no longer that way. It stinks, but even Mahomes is trying to wrap his head around the fact that Kelce might not be there in the near future.
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The Chiefs need a top-tier weapon
Without Kelce being his prime self, there is a huge issue with the Chiefs roster. There is no clear-cut number one weapon on the team. Wide receivers Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy are not elite weapons. They are fine players, but they are not real difference-makers and the Texans made sure to made that very visible.
The same goes for the running game, Isiah Pacheco is not the same after his leg fractures, and Kareem Hunt is past his prime too. They are not bad running backs, but nowhere near an elite level. Hence, Mahomes is feeling alone on offense.
