The Kansas City Chiefs were supposed to make history in Super Bowl 59 as they chased the NFL’s first ever Super Bowl three-peat.
Instead, they ran into a buzzsaw in the Philadelphia Eagles, falling 40-22 in a game that left fans stunned and the dynasty suddenly facing tough questions. For all of Patrick Mahomes’ brilliance, the Chiefs’ offense looked sluggish, and the cracks that had been forming all season finally split wide open.
One of the biggest concerns? The noticeable decline of future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce. At 35, the superstar tight end didn’t look like the unstoppable force fans had grown accustomed to. And now, after another Super Bowl loss, an unexpected possibility has surfaced: Could Kansas City actually cut Kelce?
Why Cutting Travis Kelce Makes Sense, at Least Financially
That’s the bold prediction made by ESPN’s Aaron Schatz, who suggested that the Chiefs could move on from Kelce to clear much-needed cap space.
“This would be a very unpopular move, but Kelce’s contract is set up as an easy way for the Chiefs to gain cap space for 2025. According to Roster Management System, cutting Kelce would cost the Chiefs only $2.5 million in dead money while saving them over $17 million on the salary cap.
“That’s important with the Chiefs currently having negative effective cap space (i.e. the cap space that they would have after signing at least 51 players and a projected rookie class). And while Kelce still had some important catches in the postseason, his regular-season performance collapsed in 2024. Kelce ranked 38th out of 49 qualifying tight ends in receiving DVOA, and he ranked dead last among tight ends in the ESPN receiver tracking metrics.”
In other words, money isn’t the only factor at play. As Schatz pointed out, Kelce’s regular-season performance in 2024 took a sharp dive. While he still came alive in the postseason, his ability to dominate over a full season may be fading.
A Declining Star or Just an Off Year For the HOFer?
This isn’t the first time someone has floated the idea of cutting Kelce. Back in January, PFSN’s Ben Rolfe had a similar idea, mentioning Kelce in his 2025 cut candidates piece:
“I know. Your instinct is to yell and call me stupid, but first, just hear me out. Travis Kelce is a legitimate cut candidate for the Kansas City Chiefs for a couple of reasons, the first being that he may just retire, which essentially means he will cut himself. The second reason is that, despite his playoff performances, Kelce has been a fading force this season. His yards per reception had been above 12 for nine straight years entering 2023.
“Last year, that dropped to 10.6, and in 2024, it fell to 8.5. The eight touchdowns he scored over the last two seasons combined would have been considered a bad year between 2017 and 2022. Kelce can clearly still be a role player for the Chiefs, but a role player costing $19.8 million is crazy, no matter how great they have been for your franchise in their career.”
Rolfe also floated the idea that any potential release could be procedural, allowing the Chiefs to re-sign Kelce on a more cap-friendly deal.
“Any cut for Kelce could be procedural, where he is nominally cut and then re-signed at a more cap-friendly deal. Equally, they could just throw four void years on and move upward of $12.5 million into the future as a thank-you to the veteran.”
Is This Really the End of Kelce in Kansas City?
The idea of cutting a franchise legend like Travis Kelce seems almost unthinkable. He’s been Mahomes’ most trusted weapon, a leader in the locker room, and the heartbeat of the Chiefs’ offense for nearly a decade.
But the NFL is a cutthroat business, and tough decisions often define dynasties. If Kansas City wants to stay competitive and reload for another Super Bowl run, freeing up nearly $17 million could be a necessary evil.
