Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is 34 years old and still one of the best tight ends in the league
The Chiefs may not be playing up to par right now, but Kelce is still on pace to have 1,000 receiving yards for the eighth season in a row.
Despite how talented he is, one NFL general manager saw some worrying signs from tight end Travis Kelce in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 27-19 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 13.
The Athletic’s Mike Sando referenced how Kelce is seeing his numbers dip as his 11.2 yards per reception are set to be a career low, and he’s averaging four fewer receiving yards per game compared to last season.
“It is funny you say that,” the GM said to Sando. “I was watching him run down on that Hail Mary (against Green Bay), and I was thinking he might be almost done. I say that understanding he has been productive at times this year. But you know what the first sign of decline for a player like Travis Kelce is? That he is not the same player late in the season. It means his body is not recovering.”
Sando interviewed an NFL offensive coach who stated the opposite while mentioning the eight-time Pro Bowler “has never been good lining up and beating a guy press-man on him.”
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Kelce has appeared in 156 games and has yet to show any signs that he is slowing down, especially when Taylor Swift is in the stands watching him.
Kelce has 255 receiving yards with 15.9 yards per catch over Kansas City’s last three games so if that is a man who is almost done, I’m pretty sure the Chiefs would accept that version forever.
During an exclusive interview with the Wall Street Journal, Kelce revealed that retirement has been on his mind “more than anyone could ever imagine.” It has more to do with injuries he has suffered and the physical toll playing such a brutal game can do to your body.
“That’s the only thing I’ve never really been open about, the discomfort. The pain,” Kelce explained. “The lingering injuries — the 10 surgeries I’ve had that I still feel every single surgery to this day.”
Kelce has 80 catches for 896 yards and five touchdowns this season.
The Chiefs’ offense without Kelce is downright non-existent, so dark times could be headed for the team even with Patrick Mahomes behind center.
