Travis Kelce’s time in Kansas City may be numbered as the Chiefs decided to re-sign one of their familiar faces. With 3 wins on the bounce, the Chiefs are on their way to an unprecedented 3-peat with a few negatives to look at. Among those is Patrick Mahomes’ bestie Kelce’s start to the new season.

After signing a new two-year contract worth $34.25 million this summer, the Chiefs may not be satisfied with their Pro Bowler. As they decided to re-sign TE Jody Fortson who left the Chiefs in free agency before the regular season. Although Fortson did sign with the Miami Dolphins, they decided to cut Jody from their 53-man roster ahead of the season. But arriving in Kansas City last night, Fortson might have a bigger role to play this time around as he gets added to the practice squads.

Looking back at Fortson’s first stint with the franchise, he didn’t have a great time in Kansas City. After being converted to a TE from a pass-rusher, the 6-foot 4-inch player was signed by the Chiefs as an undrafted pick in 2019. However, his first two seasons with the team saw him spend most of the time in the practice squads.

But Fortson did get his chance eventually, thereby finishing his first season with two TDs for six games. Considering he had Travis Kelce ahead of the pecking order, his numbers aren’t to be judged. Well, going into his sophomore year, Fortson was on his way to a breakout season as the 28-year-old racked up two touchdowns for 108 passing yards.

However, in December of that year, Fortson suffered an ACL tear that placed him in the injury reserves going into 2023. Even last season, Jody was hit with a shoulder injury that restricted his participation as the Chiefs rallied for their second consecutive Super Bowl title. Kelce’s horror start to the season might be one of the biggest reasons why Fortson signed after three weeks of the regular season.

Travis Kelce opens up on his struggles this season

As Kelce won his third Super Bowl title last season, his contributions to the Chiefs aren’t to be forgotten. It was the eighth consecutive season that Kelce had racked up more than 1,000 receiving yards, thereby boasting his expectations for this year. However, this season hasn’t started the way Kelce would have predicted.

Him only racking up just eight catches for 69 yards with no touchdowns aren’t the numbers Kelce was looking for. Expressing his thoughts on the below-par performances, Kelce shared, “With how defenses are playing us right now, I’m not really getting a lot of opportunities to make plays down the field. But I’m not using that as an excuse.” And continuing on those views on his New Heights Podcast, Kelce added, “Moving forward, still trying to make sure that I help the team out in that regard, knowing I’ve been that weapon for us in the past.”

Well, there is no doubt that Kelce has been the biggest contributor to the Chiefs’ success over the years. His 10.6 yards per reception and 11.1 yards in the postseason were among the best in the league. While expressing his disappointment with a poor start, Kelce did appreciate the Chiefs winning no matter what. “If it doesn’t, as long as we’re winning football games, we’re good to go, baby,” Kelce added.

But can the multiple-season record breaker turn around his disastrous start to the year? Or is this the beginning of the end of Travis Kelce’s journey in Kansas City? For now, we don’t know, but we know he can turn this around if Mahomes and Kelce can combine regularly like they used to.