Travis Kelce moves to 2nd on all-time TE list

Kelce was held in check throughout the entirety of this one and has been targeted just six times in his last two games. Were it not for an 11-yard score in last week’s win over the Dolphins, we would be looking at back-to-back disappointing fantasy weeks for the future Hall of Famer. Kelce and the Chiefs are now heading into their bye week. He could see an increase in targets with Rashee Rice (hamstring) and Tyquan Thornton (ankle) both at risk of missing multiple weeks, but Kelce now has three games on his 2026 ledger with five or fewer targets.

Both Kelce’s catches and targets were his fewest of the young season, though he made them count on an afternoon where Patrick Mahomes dropped back only 25 times. Kelce notched a 48-yard catch-and-run on the first offensive play of the game, then finished off the Chiefs’ last real drive with an 11-yard touchdown grab in the back of the end zone. Why he went so long between looks can be a question for another day. Sitting on 231 yards receiving through the Chiefs’ first three contests, Kelce will remain a strong TE1 for Week 4 in Vegas.

Kelce continues to do the bulk of his damage within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage while running a high percentage of hitch routes, but the volume of passing and inside-funnel matchup aided in him eclipsing 100 yards through the air for the first time since Week 8 of 2024. That game also happened to be an overtime win, meaning the only two times since Week 7 of 2023 in which Kelce has gone over 100 yards have gone to overtime. Even so, Kelce continues to be a solid outlet for quarterback Patrick Mahomes and should continue to see games of spiked volume when the Chiefs are pushed, as they were by the Colts. That is unlikely to be the case in Week 3 when the Chiefs travel to Miami to face the Dolphins, where Mahomes will be a shaky TE1 bet in fantasy.

Today’s session was voluntary and Kelce is entering his 13th NFL season. We would love it if he were there, but we are not worried about his absence. Kelce signed a three-year extension late in March and will once again man the TE1 spot in Kansas City this season. The Chiefs have another three-day OTA run from June 1-3. Mandatory minicamp goes from June 9-11.

Kansas City, Breech said, “should be the first team to give them a call about making a possible deal” for Pitts, who is reportedly on the trade block, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “The Chiefs currently have two first-round picks heading into the draft and they would likely be able to get a deal done by sending just one of those to Atlanta.” Breech said dealing Pitts, entering his age-26 season, would free up some much-needed salary cap space for the Falcons and give them a first-round draft pick, which they do not have at the moment. Pitts, Breech said, would be the “heir apparent” to Travis Kelce, 36, who re-signed with the Chiefs last month after briefly considering retirement for a third straight offseason. Pitts in 2025 had 88 receptions for 928 yards and five touchdowns, a career season. KC last year ranked 11th in two tight end usage (28 percent).

The upshot here is that his three-year contract is effectively a one-year deal that will give both sides a chance to decide about 2027 when 2027 comes, but NFL media did a collective spit take when Ian Rapoport reported that Kelce was signing a three-year, $54.7 million contract. To spell it out a little more clearly: The Rotoworld blurb team has as much of a chance of getting Kelce’s $40 million roster bonus in 2028 as he does.

It was reported weeks ago that Kelce was signing a one-year, $12 million contract with the Chiefs. Now, the 36-year-old vet, who was reportedly mulling retirement, is back on a three-year deal that will pay out $12 million plus $3 million in incentives in his first year. It’s safe to say this deal came out of nowhere, but it all but guarantees that Kelce will be a Chief for life as long as he desires to keep playing. Kelce caught 76 passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns last season and continues to be one of the most productive tight ends in the league despite his age.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the deal has a max value of $15 million. 36-year-old Kelce has been declining for several years now, but he was still fourth in tight end yardage (851) last season. He was a more distant 21st in TE yards per route run at 1.47. Kelce appeared particularly dead-legged at the end of the Chiefs’ trying season. He is best utilized as a third down/red zone package player at this point, something coach Andy Reid undoubtedly already knows. Kelce will keep hanging around the TE1 ranks in fantasy, but probably more in the TE8-12 range than TE5-8.

This only came into question last night based on Kelce talking to numerous teams per the reporting of Dianna Russini. But there was never really a doubt that Kelce would leave being a lifelong Chief behind while entering his age-37 season — there’s not an objectively better ring-chasing slot even if he’d wanted to leave. We’re sure that Kelce’s latest contract will be filed with the Chiefs in the near future.

Kelce is set to be a free agent when the new league year begins, and while it sounds like he will be returning for a 14th season, he will likely shop his services to other teams before deciding whether to re-up with the Chiefs. While it would still be surprising to see Kelce play for another team in what could be his final season, there will likely be plenty of teams lining up to speak with the future Hall of Famer. Kelce caught 76 passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns last season on 108 targets. While he’s taken a step back in recent years, his production relative to his position continues to come at a high level. Rumors of potential suitors are sure to emerge once the league’s legal tampering period opens on Monday, which could make for an interesting start to free agency.