The Kansas City Chiefs should start thinking about life after Travis Kelce soon. The future Hall of Fame tight end is entering the final year of his deal in 2025, and his production has dipped in the last two seasons.
Kelce is still a solid receiving option for quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but it may be time for the Chiefs to get younger and more dynamic at tight end. Noah Gray is an adequate backup behind Kelce, but he doesn't bring much excitement and big-play ability.
Kansas City doesn't need to address the position right now, but Last Word on Sports' Anthony Palacios believes the team should try to acquire tight end Michael Mayer in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.
"Kelce is looking for vengeance, but he won’t last for more than a year, so they need to start planning for the future. Mahomes does well bringing out the best in a target, and even though Mayer hasn’t found his footing yet, he could change things around in his career with one of the most complete teams in the league," Palacios wrote.
Trading Mayer would be a logical move by the Raiders, as the young playmaker won't reach his full potential with the franchise due to the rise of Brock Bowers, and a fresh start elsewhere would be incredibly beneficial.
Teams called Las Vegas about Mayer earlier in the offseason, and the team was willing to listen. However, Mayer is still on the roster heading into the summer, and it's unknown what his market looks like now.
Though the Chiefs could find a capable replacement for Kelce in a future draft, adding Mayer would be a savvy move. The 23-year-old would give Mahomes another receiving threat and add some explosiveness to Kansas City's tight end room. He also has the talent to be a strong replacement for Kelce, who will turn 36 in October.
Obviously, the Raiders could be hesitant to trade Mayer to the Chiefs due to the in-division connection, but there's no denying that the young tight end would be a nice addition to Andy Reid's offense and could be the heir apparent to Kelce one day.
