Who Can Patrick Mahomes Depend on after the Chiefs 11-Time Pro Bowl Tight End Retires?
Travis Kelce has been a linchpin in the Kansas City offense since 2014. In an era when players can go to multiple teams throughout a career, Kelce has been a constant at Arrowhead. He’s made his name as the third-greatest regular-season receiving tight end in NFL history behind Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten with 13,002 yards, and the greatest receiving tight end of the postseason with 2,078 yards. He has more playoff receptions than Jerry Rice’s 151 with 178. With three Super Bowl rings and multiple All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections, his résumé speaks for itself. However, in 2026, at 36 years of age, in what may be his last campaign, it is concerning that a non-receiver’s production can be counted on more than actual wide receivers on the field.
Last year, the Cincinnati Bearcat was the team's top ball catcher with 851 yards and five touchdowns. Marquise Brown was second in receiving with 587 yards and five touchdowns. Rashee Rice was suspended for six weeks to begin the season but was on pace for a thousand-yard season by the end of the year with 571 yards and five touchdowns before he was put on IR with a concussion. Xavier Worthy was injured with shoulder and ankle issues, finishing the year with 532 yards and one touchdown. With that many injuries in the receiver room, with coverage focused on Kelce, he still managed to be a top-five tight end in the league. In the 2025 season, issues with the receiving corps were a clear reason a tight end had the most yards catching the ball, but the Future Hall of Famer has led the Chiefs in receptions since 2022. Not since Tyreek Hill left for Miami after the 2021 season have the Chiefs had a thousand-yard receiver. Is it too much to ask of Kelce, this late in his career, to continue to produce as he’s been in previous years?
At training camp, the Arrowhead legend has looked crisp on his routes and has made sure-handed catches. He still looks every bit the potent weapon on the field that demands defenses respect and fear his game. Rice and Worthy have a 2026 season with something to prove, especially the former, who will be in a contract year in the wake of legal issues and jail time. Tyquan Thornton, who signed to a two-year contract after an impressive, albeit limited, showing last year, will pose as a legitimate deep threat. In the fifth round of the draft, the franchise might have unearthed a gem in rookie Cyrus Allen, who has impressed with consistent playmaking ability in camp. In addition to a revamped running back room anchored by reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, Kelce may not have as much on his shoulders on the field. However, when he’s gone, when that generational ability is out of the building, Kansas City will need to make a conscious and deliberate effort to find a receiver of his pedigree to usher in the next phase of Patrick Mahomes’ storied career.
