Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is undeniably one of the team’s biggest stars, but there is a real chance that this playoff run with the team could be his last.
In the offseason, Travis Kelce inked a new contract with the Chiefs, making him the highest-paid tight end in the league. However, his on-field performance this season fell far short of justifying that hefty paycheck.
Kelce posted the least productive season of his career since becoming a starter, with significant declines in his receiving numbers across nearly every category.
The veteran tight end recorded fewer yards per game, yards per reception, and yards after the catch, while also posting a shorter average depth of target and fewer touchdowns than in any other season.
Considering his sharp drop in production alongside his enormous salary and cap hit, the Chiefs could actually benefit financially by releasing him during the offseason.
This week, Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department highlighted Kelce as one of the team’s most likely “cap casualties” this offseason, noting that cutting him could free up significant cap space.
“Cutting Travis Kelce is obviously a long shot. … However, the Chiefs would be able to create $17.3 million in cap space by releasing Kelce,” Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department wrote.
While it seems unlikely, given Kelce’s immense contributions to the team over the years, there is also a chance that Kelce could simply choose to retire, which could benefit the Chiefs, as well.
“This is much more likely to come into play if Kelce decides to retire. The star tight end has wavered on his retirement stance in media appearances. If he decides to walk away, the Chiefs have structured his contract in a way that’s going to help them with their cap space,” Bleacher Report wrote.
As for Kelce’s retirement prospects, there are a lot of reasons why he could choose to walk away from the game, including his many off-the-field endeavors and his pop superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift – and that doesn’t even account for his lackluster performance on the field.
Kelce himself has even hinted at the possibility of retiring.
“I love everything that I’m doing … but at the end of the day, I’m not having that extreme success on the field,” Kelce said on the Stephen A. Smith Show. “I’m excited for these next couple of games … to finish this season off. I’ll re-evaluate it like I always do.”
That said, Kelce also suggested he would most likely return to the team next season.
“I’ll probably tell myself how much I love this thing, and I’ll come back next year,” Kelce added.
Considering Kelce’s recent performance, his contract situation, the team’s cap needs, and his own comments, there’s a genuine chance that Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills could be the final game of his career if the team loses.
