Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce failed to surpass 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in seven seasons during the 2023 campaign, but, don’t expect a backslide from one of Patrick Mahomes’ favorite targets.
To be fair, Kelce only fell 16 yards shy of continuing 1,000-yard receiving season streak and still pulled down five touchdown receptions, which was second-most on the team, behind wide receiver Rashee Rice.
Likewise, Kelce shifted into overdrive during the Chiefs’ playoff run while playing a pivotal role in Kansas City bringing home a second consecutive Lombardi Trophy. Kelce caught 32 passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns in the Chiefs’ four postseason wins.
Will Travis Kelce Pick Up Where he Left Off for Kansas City Chiefs?
Even though the Chiefs have bolstered the receiving corps around Mahomes, it’s hard to imagine Kelce not returning to peak form in 2024.
But, given Kelce’s track record, it’s a bit surprising to see Pro Football Focus list him as the Chiefs’ most likely bounce-back player for this upcoming season.
According to NFL analyst Bradley Locker, that’s the expectation.
“Just knowing Kelce’s pedigree,” Locker writes for PFF. “There’s almost no chance he finishes below 1,000 yards for a second consecutive season, even if he’s over 34. Plus, with major questions about the Chiefs’ receiver room — potentially without Rashee Rice to start the year and ushering in a rookie in Xavier Worthy — Patrick Mahomes could default to relying on his security net that much more.”
While the Chiefs’ receiving corps should be better — after all, it’s hard to be worse than dropping a league-high 41 passes as a unit last season, they still might have a long way to go to be able to consistently be more reliable than Kelce.
Last season, the Chiefs’ defense led the way towards a Super Bowl championship, but, in 2024 it might be Mahomes and Kelce to power the offense and a run to a first-ever three-peat.
