5 bold predictions for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018

1. Travis Kelce’s numbers will decline

The acquisition of Sammy Watkins and the return of Chris Conley will equal less touches for someone on the Chiefs roster. Expect Kelce to be the weapon who sacrifices the most statistics.

The drop off won’t be noticeable early in the season. While Mahomes is trying to work his way into becoming an NFL starter, he’ll rely on his talented tight end as a safety blanket. It’s even possible Kelce will look like a player headed towards a career year after the first few weeks.

After Mahomes gets more comfortable, Kelce is going to see less of the football. His new quarterback is going to want to get the ball out to his wide receivers more often. The team’s completion percentage may drop as a result, but they will produce more big plays.

Kelce is capable of being a part of that change, but his number of targets inevitably will drop. He’ll still make some big plays down the seam, but Watkins and Hill are going to get more opportunities.

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None of this means that Kelce’s skills are on the decline. He still has several years left in his prime. It just means the Chiefs offense is going to change to take advantage of Mahomes’ arm strength. Kelce will still be a Pro Bowl-caliber player even if his numbers take a noticeable dip.