After the Kansas City Chiefs were smacked around by the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59, the entire football world started to wonder if this would be the end of the line for legendary tight end Travis Kelce. The soon-to-be 36-year-old stud had his worst statistical season in a decade, and he is starting to look much slower than he had in past seasons.
The Chiefs already have enough to worry about this offseason, as their offensive line could look much different next year and the lack of wide receivers is sure to be a topic of discussion. Losing a player like Kelce, both on the field and in the locker room, is going to be a very tough pill for the Chiefs to swallow.
As they look to the future to possibly find someone (or a group of people) who can provide a convincing facsimile to Kelce, Chiefs fans may need to hope one of these five players can effectively serve as one of Patrick Mahomes’ top targets.
5 players who can help replace Travis Kelce if Chiefs legend retires
5. Jared Wiley, Kansas City Chiefs
Wiley caught just one pass last season due to injuries and the Kelce roadblock, but there’s reason to believe he could be promoted to the TE2 role if Kelce is on his way out. Wiley emerged as a solid red zone target in college, catching 12 touchdowns in his two seasons with TCU.
4. Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders
While Ertz has stated publically that he would like to stay under Kliff Kingsbury’s watch in Washington for the rest of his career, the Chiefs might be able to turn his head away if they can tempt him with the promise of competing for championships alongside Mahomes. This year proved Ertz can still get it done as a safety valve over the middle.
3. Harold Fannin Jr, Bowling Green
Fannin caught 117 passes for 1,555 yards and 10 touchdowns in his final college season, making it the most statstically proficient receiving season by a tight end in Division I college football history. He is a poor blocker, but those receiving skills are so incredible that Kansas City may need to target him in the second round as an immediate contributor.
2. Noah Gray, Kansas City Chiefs
Gray would be multiple steps down in terms of receiving skill when compared to Kelce, but the Chiefs wouldn’t have invested in him with a multi-year contract if they didn’t believe he could eventually supplant the future Hall of Famer. Gray, who caught a career-high 40 passes and five touchdowns this year, could put up better numbers with more opportunities.
1. Colston Loveland, Michigan
With Penn State’s Tyler Warren all but a lock to be off the board before the Chiefs pick, Loveland might be able to fall into their laps at No. 32 overall. A tremendous blocker who can be a weapon over the middle, Loveland should have no issues stepping into Kelce’s old role as a rookie and establishing a connection with Mahomes.
