The Kansas City Chiefs shifted their offensive priorities this offseason, making a big investment in their backfield with the hopes of a more balanced game and less pressure on quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
But they may also need to give Travis Kelce some help to pull it off. ESPN’s Nate Taylor predicted that the Chiefs would make another investment into an offensive position, this time boosting the tight end room to alleviate some of the pressure off Kelce for the role he’ll play in the run game.
Chiefs Expected to Expand Tight End Room
Taylor predicted the Chiefs would make an addition to their tight end room, keeping four on the roster to account for the additional blocking needed to accommodate the run game. Taylor noted that the Chiefs signalled a shift by signing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, and now will need more blocking help for Kelce up front.
Taylor’s projected 53-man roster included four tight ends, an increase for the three the Chiefs have kept on the roster in recent seasons. He predicted the Chiefs would keep three tight ends behind Kelce — Noah Gray, Jared Wiley, and Jake Bringstool — with the expectation that they would contribute to the running game.
“If the Chiefs are serious about running the ball more often with Walker, adding more tight ends not named Kelce is a requirement,” Taylor wrote. “Kelce led the Chiefs in receiving last year and looks to be in better shape in camp than a year ago. Gray and Wiley need to demonstrate they can be positive when it comes to blocking. Briningstool offers the most potential as a pass catcher in the future.”
Travis Kelce Setting an Example
As Taylor pointed out, Kelce has looked sharp through training camp and worked hard to set an example for his teammates on the field. Head coach Andy Reid said he’s been forced to pull Kelce out at times because the tight end doesn’t want to take traditional veteran rest, and linebacker Nick Bolton said Kelce’s hustle serves as an example for the other players.
“There’s no excuses when you have the old guy out there running routes and stuff like that,” Bolton said, adding that it’s ”been fun to watch [Kelce] work.”
Kelce said he understands that his younger teammates are looking to him to set an example.
“When we get stuck, with adversity hitting, who’s going to want you in that foxhole with you?” Kelce said. “That’s one of those things, I want to be one of those guys that everybody counts on to be there and get us out of that foxhole.”
The tight end has some extra motivation this season, saying he’s upset at the team’s dismal finish in 2025 and is determined to lead them back to the playoffs this year.
“There were things I could have done better in that regard,” he said. “I feel ready to rock and roll. Just trying to make sure I set that example for the guys around me, that this is the standard.”
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce Predicted to Get More Help This Season