“Should Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce retire? Well, yes, of course he should,” read an USA TODAY headline in bold letters from columnist Mike Freeman. At 35, many would argue, the Chiefs’ player still has the fuel to go on for a couple more years. However, if recent history is any indication—cue most of the 2024 season, and the Super Bowl LIX—there were moments when the tight end was described as “sluggish”. 

During the Big Game vs the Philadelphia Eagles, despite setting the record for most career Super Bowl receptions, surpassing Jerry Rice (35), and also setting a record for most playoff receptions among NFL players, Kelce was only able to generate four catches on six targets for 39 yards. Even if we give him the benefit of the doubt on that particular occasion, the veteran’s 2024-2025 performance was reportedly the least productive in his 12-year NFL career. He finished the season with 97 receptions for 823 receiving yards and three touchdowns—even lower than what he had done during the 2015 season, just three years into being a Chiefs. Now that’s a downturn, wouldn’t you agree? For the unversed: Back then, Kelce had concluded with 875 receiving yards, and five TDs. So, no wonder, his recent performances have gotten the community worried…

During a conversation on The Rich Eisen Show on February 16, Mike Florio was not one to mince words when talking about the Kansas City Chiefs’ future. At one point, Eisen asked, “Biggest tail kickings I’ve seen in the Super Bowl in the 22 that I’ve been to. And, now the Chiefs are kind of in the same spot as they were the last time they lost. So, decisively, in the Super Bowl, where they got to hit the line and you know Brett Veach did it, and then we saw what happened after that. How confident are you that this next few years of the Chiefs could be as successful as the last, Mike?”

To this, the Pro Football Talk Editor-in-Chief responded, “I think as long as they have Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, they’re going to be relevant. They’re going to have to replace Travis Kelce at some point, probably sooner than later.” But, why does Florio think like so?

Further explaining his point, Florio continued, “He’s thinking actively about retiring. And for many guys, if you’re thinking that actively about it, you’ve already made your decision. You’re just in the process of coming to terms with it. Because it’s not an easy thing to do. But he’s in a position where he can make a lot more money away from football. He’s already making more money away from football. He can make even more with his various off-field interests.” 

“So, they’re going to have to replace him. They’re going to have to upgrade the receiving core, they’re gonna have to upgrade the offensive line, they’re going to have to work on improving the defensive line. They’ve got a lot of work to do, and when you have the key piece of quarterback and coach, it makes it easier to do the other things,” the insider concluded. Notably, this comes days after Kelce himself talk about his retirement buzz…

Coincidentally, on the same podcast, the 3x Super Bowl champion had said, “I’m gonna take some time to figure it out. And I think I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back it’s gonna be a wholehearted decision and I’m not half-assing it, and I’m fully here for them…I think I can play, it’s just whether or not I’m motivated or it’s the best decision for me as a man, as a human, as a person to take on all that responsibility.” 

“I’ve been fortunate over the past five, six years, I’ve played more football than anybody. It’s because the people that are in that building and the fact that we keep going to these AFC championships, these Super Bowls, that means I’m playing an extra three games more than everybody else in the entire league,” he had said in another conversation before adding:

“That’s a lot of wear and tear on your body. It’s a lot of time spent in the building, focusing on your craft, focusing on the task at hand, every challenge that you set for yourself. That process can be grueling. It can weigh on you. It can make you better and it can drive you crazy at the same time. Right now, it’s one of those things where it was kind of driving me crazy this year. I think that it happens as you kind of tail off towards the back nine of your career. As you see yourself or not feel yourself have the success that you once used to have, it’s a tough pill to swallow.”

However, it doesn’t look like the tight end has too much time on his hands to come up with a decision. As per The Athletic’s Nate Taylor and Cale Clinton, “If Kelce chooses to retire, the Chiefs, as they head into an intriguing offseason, want to know of his decision around March 14, according to a team source. Based on the deadline, the Chiefs are going to give Kelce a month to decide his future.”

“Kelce’s contract, which runs through next season, includes an $11.5 million roster bonus that is due March 15, according to Over the Cap. The NFL’s free agency period begins March 10,” they further warned. What’s more? There are also rumors looming over Travis Kelce that if Clark Hunt’s team trades the No. 87, the Chiefs will have more than 17 million dollars in the space cap which will allow them to sign more free agents. But let’s see if drops a bomb in the offseason regarding retirement. 

Meanwhile, Mike Florio also made strong statements on the Chiefs, but about Patrick Mahomes in particular. Wanna know what the NFL analyst has said about the QB? Let’s dive in!

Mike Florio’s strong Patrick Mahomes message for 31 NFL teams

Though he has said that the Chiefs have to move on from Travis Kelce, he does not hold the same stance when talking about Mahomes and the Chiefs. “I think Patrick Mahomes comes out of this game even more focused, even more intent on keeping things on track. The Chiefs aren’t dead, they were dead for one game.” This is a clear message for those who are hanging Kermit the Frog in public places, implying how Patrick Mahomes has gone. But what are some of the preoccupied minds that Mahomes will get back to you as a silent killer? 

“Don’t confuse that with the Chiefs being completely and totally done. They’re going to keep going for seven years with Patrick Mahomes as the starter,” Florio said. He also added, “The worst outcome is losing the AFC Championship in overtime. That’s the worst he’s ever done in seven years; that’s not a fluke. So, they’ll do what they have to do, adjust what they need to adjust and they’ll be back.” Patrick Mahomes has become the only under-30 quarterback in NFL history to start five Super Bowls. Isn’t that exceptional? 

Well, Mike Florio thinks Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will be back next year; Mahomes may not have Travis Kelce in the locker room to pump up the aura. But let’s see if Kelce makes a comeback or starts off a new career off the field.