Shake it off: Travis Kelce puts rough start behind him with impressive Week 4 performance

It’s time to finally put the “Travis Kelce is washed” narrative away. 

Kelce looked more like his usual, destructive self, catching seven passes for 89 yards in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 17-10 win over the LA Chargers. 

Though he’s still waiting for his first touchdown catch of the season, Sunday’s game was a step in the right direction of keeping the Chiefs offense afloat amid another injury blow.

If there was any game where Kelce was going to break through, it was going to be against the Chargers, a team he has torched in his last few outings against them. In his breakout game against the Chargers, he broke the record for most receptions (922) in Chiefs history, surpassing NFL hall of famer, Tony Gonzalez.

While he didn’t get a touchdown, he did provide some relief for Mahomes and the Chiefs offense as Rashee Rice went down with a knee injury. 

Anybody who knows football knows Kelce was due for a strong performance in the near future. And the Chiefs needed that for more reasons than just Kelce’s confidence. Already down Isiah Pacheco, losing Rice for the foreseeable future was a massive loss for an offense that thrives on utilizing multiple playmakers. That’s the one thing that’s made the Chiefs dangerous. 

Sunday’s performance could be the start of Kelce returning to form at a time the Chiefs offense needs its veteran tight end. 

Why Travis Kelce’s arrival to the 2024 season was right on time

Kelce provided the spark football fans have been waiting for all season in Week 4 and it came at the perfect time. With Rice and Pacheco out, the need for Kelce to have strong games is even more important now. 

While Kelce is the obvious choice to step up. But down another player, the way defenses play Kelce, it will be even harder to get the game going. 

Enter rookie Xavier Worthy.

If there was ever a time for the rookie to welcome the spotlight, now is that moment. He ran the fastest 40-yard time in NFL combine history. But speed is only a portion of what it takes to be good and succeed long term in the NFL. 

We’ve seen glimpses of how good Worthy can be in an Andy Reid-led Chiefs offense. His role is elevated within the offense.

Maybe the Chiefs look to add a player before the trade deadline in about a month. Maybe the Chiefs are confident in what they already have. 

Now that Kelce looks to have returned to form, he and the Chiefs offense is tasked with not letting injuries deter them away from a third-straight Super Bowl.