The Kansas City Chiefs received great news this week, as Travis Kelce is expected to return next season despite some rumors surrounding his looming retirement. Kelce's numbers have gone down over the past few years, but he remains one of the best tight ends in the NFL, and no one understands him like Patrick Mahomes does.
Kelce is excited to play another season, and it will surely mean more primetime games and Taylor Swift appearances. That is great for the Chiefs and NFL, which thrive on revenue. It is not great for Brett Veach, who has an eye towards the future, and rightly so. The front office should prepare for life after Kelce, which surely begins in the next year or two. While there are a few promising tight ends on the roster, none resemble Kelce's impact. Tyler Warren would be a pound-for-pound replacement for Kelce, but he'll be drafted far before the Chiefs No. 31 pick.
Kansas City's best attempt to replace Kelce could be a by-committee approach. Jared Wiley and others have proven to be capable pass-catchers, and they have a lot to learn from Kelce in his final years on the roster. One aspect of Kelce's play that cannot be replaced is his toughness. He played through the Super Bowl despite injury. Kansas City ought to be ready for a time when Kelce either is forced to miss games due to injury, or isn't around at all.
Kansas City Chiefs need to be ready for Gunnar Helm replacement
One prospect caught our eye at the NFL Combine, and that is former Texas tight end Gunnar Helm. The initial reviews on Helm were bad, as he participated at the combine and ran a subpar 40-yard dash and then some. However, it turns out Helm was running with a sprained ankle. While that would hurt some prospects' draft stock, it should only help Helm with teams looking for one trait in particular – toughness.
Helm has his weaknesses, especially when it comes to blocking. He projects as a TE2 but cannot run block. He will need to improve in this regard, especially if he is playing behind Kelce. Yet, Helm's struggles should only help the Chiefs. If teams pass on him because of his combine performance, Kansas City will be ready to pounce.
Helm is a one of the better pure pass-catching tight end prospects in this draft. He knows what he is, and what he is not. Toughness was a reason to question Helm, and would have pushed him to Day 3. Instead, Helm has proven himself by performing through injury.