Chiefs' Travis Kelce Named Shocking Cut Candidate

Could the Kansas City Chiefs do the unthinkable and seriously cut tight end Travis Kelce during the NFL offseason?
Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) celebrates after defeating the Buffalo Bills during the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) celebrates after defeating the Buffalo Bills during the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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The Kansas City Chiefs are going back to the Super Bowl for the third straight time and the fifth time in six years, and a big part of that has been due to tight end Travis Kelce.

Kelce has been a steady force for the Chiefs all throughout this run, and he just had another impressive season in which he caught 97 passes for 823 yards and three touchdowns.

He has now earned 10 straight Pro Bowl selections, and you might as well start carving his bust into Canton.

But could Kelce's time in Kansas City actually be coming to an end?

Ben Rolfe of Pro Football Network actually thinks it's a possibility, noting that his $19.8 million cap number for 2025 may be a bit excessive.

"I know. Your instinct is to yell and call me stupid, but first, just hear me out. Travis Kelce is a legitimate cut candidate for the Kansas City Chiefs for a couple of reasons, the first being that he may just retire, which essentially means he will cut himself," Rolfe wrote.

Okay, well that's kind of silly, considering that retiring s not the same thing as being cut. But Rolfe than elaborates on his point.

"The second reason is that, despite his playoff performances, Kelce has been a fading force this season," Rolfe wrote. "His yards per reception had been above 12 for nine straight years entering 2023. Last year, that dropped to 10.6, and in 2024, it fell to 8.5. The eight touchdowns he scored over the last two seasons combined would have been considered a bad year between 2017 and 2022."

He goes on to say that Kelce's salary is "crazy" for a "role player."

"Any cut for Kelce could be procedural, where he is nominally cut and then re-signed at a more cap-friendly deal," Rolfe continued. "Equally, they could just throw four void years on and move upward of $12.5 million into the future as a thank-you to the veteran."

But here's the thing: Kelce really isn't a "role player." He may not be the same player he was a few years ago, but he remains one of the best tight ends in the NFL, and his incredible playoff track record speaks for itself.

The chances of the Chiefs actually releasing Kelce this offseason are almost surely zilch.


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