Travis Kelce, cut candidate? Super Bowl LIX could be final game with the Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs have advanced to the Super Bowl for the fifth time in the past six years, and the opportunity to make history is now within reaching distance. 

For an aging superstar, there would be few better ways to leave the game than with three straight championships. Michael Jordan did it, at least initially, after his second three-peat with the Chicago Bulls. Now, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, could have the opportunity do the same. 

Kelce has been the centerpiece of the Chiefs offense, serving as the one constant weapon that the passing attack has revolved around. As he looks to clinch his fourth Lombardi Trophy, however, his playing career may be coming to an end.

Cut candidate or not, Travis Kelce could be playing his last game

Pro Football Network suggested Kelce could be a cut candidate under two different scenarios: he retires or he’s cut and re-signed to a cap-friendly deal.

Of those two options, the latter is unlikely to happen. Despite his diminishing ability, the Chiefs agreed to raise Kelce’s salary in a two-year deal last offseason. After years of being severely underpaid, it’s unlikely that Kansas City would ask him to take a pay cut. After all, there weren’t any new developments this season that they weren’t already aware of when they signed the deal. Also, Kelce has an $11.5 million roster bonus that becomes guaranteed in Match.

The retirement, however, is certainly a possibility. Before the season, Kelce joked that he wouldn’t listen to the coaching staff if they attempted to lighten his workload. In reality, the lightening of his workload began to take place years ago.

Kelce played a career-high 95 percent of the team’s offensive snaps during the 2018 season, but that number has steadily declined ever since. In 2020, his snap share was the lowest since his first year as a starter in 2014. In 2023, he played just 77 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. That number went up to 84 percent this season, but that was likely due to Kansas City’s reliance on 12 personnel, which they were forced into by a slew of injuries to their wide receivers. 

In Chiefs head coach Andy Reid’s West Coast system, Kelce has frequently detached from shotgun formations as a Y-Iso tight end. The alignment positioned Kelce to play in a traditional wide receiver role despite being listed on the depth chart as a tight end, and he’s been dominant in that role. 

It’s no secret that he’s lost a step in recent years, however. His 823 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns were the lowest of his career since he became a starter. At this stage, it might be time for Kelce to consider stepping aside before his production begins to hurt the team more than it helps.