Chiefs Projected to Land Dynamic Travis Kelce Replacement

The Kansas City Chiefs are being predicted to land a dynamic replacement for tight end Travis Kelce during the NFL offseason.

Jan 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) reacts after catching a pass for a touchdown against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter of a 2025 AFC divisional round game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs are preparing to play in the Super Bowl for the third straight year and the fifth time in six seasons, and they have shown no signs of slowing down.

However, at some point, the Chiefs will need to begin thinking about the future.

That potentially means making some difficult decisions, like finding replacements for some of their longest-tenured players.

That includes tight end Travis Kelce.

Kelce remains one of the NFL's best tight ends, but he is 34 years old, and he has already been contemplating retirement. That means Kansas City may need to get ahead of things and begin searching for a Kelce replacement as soon as possible.

Could the Chiefs use their first-round draft pick on a tight end?

That's what Pro Football Network is predicting, as it has Kansas City selecting Michigan Wolverines star Colston Loveland in its latest NFL mock draft.

"What do you get for the Evil Empire that’s seemingly able to overcome everything that gets thrown its way? Well, an eventual replacement for their aging star tight end could be a good place to start," PFN wrote. "Though overshadowed slightly by the production of Tyler Warren, Colston Loveland is still an outstanding prospect in his own right. He’s more of a fluid athlete who can stretch the field and thrive on the seam, and his pass-catching upside makes him worthy of sneaking into the first round."

Loveland is coming off of a 2024 campaign in which he caught 56 passes for 582 yards and five touchdowns, which was a bit of a step back from his previous season when he hauled in 45 receptions for 649 yards and four scores.

Of course, Loveland also had a far better quarterback situation in 2023, so that certainly played a role in his difference in production.

Regardless, there is no doubting Loveland's potential, and with Patrick Mahomes throwing him the football, it stands to reason that he could become one of the NFL's best tight ends.

Right now, the Chiefs are obviously focused on three-peating, but whether they like it or not, the end of the road is coming quickly for Kelce. Perhaps Loveland is the answer they need.