The Kansas City Chiefs may need to fill a gigantic hole in their offense next season, but first must wait to see whether tight end Travis Kelce decides to retire or return on a new contract.
Kelce has been contemplating retirement, but not given any firm statement on his future or a specific timeline on when the decision will come. Amid the uncertainty, one analyst believes the Chiefs should shy away from looking for Kelce’s placement on the open market.
Chiefs Warned Away From Free Agency
SI.com’s Logan Lazarczyk broke down the position groups that the Chiefs should not address in free agency, putting tight end near the top. Lazarczyk noted that there are not many attractive replacements should Kelce opt for retirement.
“Travis Kelce is considering retirement and is currently not under contract for next season. Most of the available tight ends on the open market consist of aging players. The only one under the age of 30 is Kyle Pitts, who is still only 26 years old,” Lazarczyk noted.
The SI.com writer added that Pitts — the only player who can come close to matching Kelce’s production — is not the most likely of targets. It could be more fruitful for the Chiefs to convince Kelce to return on a one-year contract, he added.
“The Atlanta Falcons‘ tight end is an intriguing player for teams needing a tight end, but a) he could be franchise tagged, and b) if he is not, Pitts will command an expensive contract,” he wrote. “The Chiefs are better off either re-signing Kelce to a one-year deal and/or drafting a tight end.”
Chiefs Could Find Replacement in NFL Draft
If Kelce does choose to retire, one analyst believes they could use some draft capital on a talented replacement. T.J. Randall of Pro Football Sports Network predicted the Chiefs would use their third-round pick on Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers, who is coming off a stellar season and could fit well into Kansas City’s offense.
“At 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, Eli Stowers is an exercise in receiver versus tight end classification, considering the chasm between his contributions in the passing game and running game,” Randall wrote. “The 2025 Mackey Award winner will bring his 1,700 career receiving yards to KC for an exciting Travis Kelce replacement when the time comes.”
The Chiefs could take an even bigger swing, with John Dillon of USA Today’s Chiefs Wire predicting the team will address the tight end position in the first round. In a mock draft, Dillon had the Chiefs selecting Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq to fill the “massive” hole left by Kelce’s potential retirement.
“Travis Kelce’s disposition for the 2026 season is unknown, but if he decides to retire at the end of the regular season, Kansas City will have a massive need to fill at the tight end position,” Dilon wrote. “Kelce’s veteran backup, Noah Gray, has been a key contributor to the Chiefs’ offense for years, but lacks the upside of a prospect like Sadiq, who could develop into one of the NFL’s most exciting pass-catchers.”
Chiefs Face Warning as Travis Kelce Retirement Decision Looms