Turns out, finding the next Travis Kelce isn’t as easy as dialing up a Philly Special. No, they don’t want to shop for the 2025 season because Trav’s gonna don the #87 for his number 13 season. “Got a real bad taste in my mouth with how I played in that last game and with how I got the guys ready for battle. I can’t go out like that!!!!” So, it’s not 2025, but eventually, the Big Red knows Trav’s not the future.

Yes! It’s hard-hitting. Reid, the guy who’s built an empire around a tight end with route-running poetry and touchdown theatrics, is officially in the market for a new co-star. C’est la vie… But, if we are going by the name game, then Andy Reid should be able to attract a line-up of TEs outside the Chiefs’ office, right? So, what’s the problem?

First, they won’t be looking to draft the future security blanket. Okay, even if they might, the expectation is to draft. But that’s where the second, and the main, problem comes into play. The only real headliners are already being scooped up like early Black Friday deals. And by the looks of it, the Chiefs’ TE shopping cart might be rolling straight into an empty aisle.

As simple on paper ‘draft a successor’ sounds, it’s anything but. There are only two tight ends worth a Round 1 tag this year, according to ESPN’s Matt Miller—Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren. But in Miller’s latest mock, both are long gone before the Chiefs even get to sniff the podium at pick No. 31. Dallas grabs Warren at 12, Indy scoops Loveland at 14, and just like that, Kansas City’s TE wishlist goes up in smoke.

And these aren’t just any prospects. Warren, the Penn State freakshow, is drawing Gronk comps. Miller wrote, “Warren is that rare and that good.” The guy threw, ran, and caught touchdowns. He’s a walking Madden glitch. Loveland? A 6’6” Michigan mismatch nightmare with Trey McBride energy. “Physical and tough… capable blocker… top-10 grade,” Miller noted, brushing off injury concerns. Translation: both guys would fit perfectly in Andy Reid’s offense. Too bad they’re already spoken for.

That leaves the Chiefs stuck in limbo. Do they trade up? Reach for a TE outside of Round 1 value? Or gamble and wait another year? One thing’s clear—Reid needs more than just a body. He’s looking for a football soulmate, someone who can take Kelce’s mantle without blinking. But so far? The search feels like a blind date gone wrong.

For now, it’s back to square one. Travis Kelce is still the guy. But the soon-to-be 36, even the Ironman, has limits. Reid knows the clock’s ticking. As for now, he’s just in the ‘admire the vet’ phase.

Andy Reid is fanning over Travis Kelce’s work ethic

If you thought Travis Kelce’s tank was running on fumes after last season… yeah, Andy Reid’s got something to say about that. The Chiefs tight end had us all on edge post-Super Bowl LIX, keeping his return decision under wraps like it was the NFL’s version of The Masked Singer. But here’s the twist—Reid already knew. “I just wanted him to put it out there and not me,” he said. Turns out, Kelce told Big Red he was coming back less than a week after the loss.

So yeah, the retirement chatter? Dead. Buried. And according to Reid, Kelce isn’t just back—he has locked his focus. “He wants to come back and he’s training like crazy too.” That’s not just coach speak. That’s a 35-year-old Hall of Fame lock refusing to fade into the sunset. Coming off his least productive year since forever—823 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a whole lot of people asking if Taylor Swift’s tour dates were more exciting—Kelce heard the noise. And he’s answering it in the weight room.

But let’s be real. Last season was chaos. The Chiefs’ offense looked like it was duct-taped together by week 3. Hollywood Brown got hurt before he even unpacked. Rashee Rice and Isiah Pacheco both missed time. As Reid put it, “We were banged up at the outside positions and that doesn’t help a tight end’s cause.” Basically, Travis wasn’t the issue—he just had no help peeling defenders off him.

Now, heading into year 13, Kelce’s not delusional. He knows he’s older. He knows when to tap out mid-drive to catch his breath. “He’s willing. He’s learning when to come out.” But don’t confuse that with fading out. This isn’t a farewell tour. It’s going to be his redemption arc. One Last Dance. And if Andy Reid’s this fired up? You should be too.