The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to make NFL history in the coming weeks as the first team to ever three-peat and win three consecutive Super Bowls. Only the Philadelphia Eagles stand in their way, yet the Chiefs have already defeated them on the biggest stage once before.
While there are a plethora of people who contribute to the Chiefs’ impressive amount of success, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, defensive tackle Chris Jones, head coach Andy Reid, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo are essentially the core five.
Whether the Chiefs walk away victorious on Feb. 9 or not, it would be in their best interest to attempt to retain each of these players/coaches. However, one NFL analyst predicts Kansas City could potentially think differently.
Chiefs Shockingly Predicted To Potentially Cut Ties With Travis Kelce
Kelce is arguably the greatest tight end in league history, with his name often coming up in conversations with Tony Gonzalez and Rob Gronkowski. He’s acted as the favorite and primary target for Mahomes since their time together began in 2018.
Nevertheless, Pro Football Network NFL analyst Ben Rolfe believes the $34 million superstar could be a potential cut candidate of the Chiefs this offseason.
“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,” Rolfe began.
Kelce is slowing down a bit in production, finishing the 2024 campaign with 97 receptions for 823 yards and just three touchdowns. At 35 years old, he still earned another Pro Bowl selection, but it came much due to the lack of talent at the TE position.
“The second reason is that, despite his playoff performances, Kelce has been a fading force this season,” Rolfe wrote. “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.”
Regardless of his fading numbers, ridding the roster of Mahomes’ right-hand man doesn’t seem logical until there is much pressure to do so. Gronkowski was able to majorly help his longtime QB Tom Brady win a final ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, despite being at the end of his career.
“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. 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,” Rolfe concluded.
Not to mention, Kelce is largely to thank for Mahomes slotting in as the No. 10 quarterback in PFN’s QB+ rankings without his No. 1 wide receiver in Rashee Rice.