The Kansas City Chiefs did not have the season many expected. With future Hall of Fame QB Patrick Mahomes going down to a season-ending injury, and overall roster struggles, this was not the Chiefs’ year.
Mahomes is expected to make a full recovery and hopefully be ready for the regular season, but he may be without his top option: Travis Kelce.
Kyle Pitts Emerges as Potential Replacement If Travis Kelce Retires
In the underwhelming season that the Chiefs just dealt with, Kelce, at 36 years old, had a really great season. In PFSN’s TE Impact Metric, he was 4th in receiving yards (851), 4th in targets (108), and 12th overall among all TEs. Clearly, Kelce can still be a winning piece of the offense, but given his age, he may not be on the team next season.
Kelce is out of contract this offseason, and although the Chiefs may get back to their winning ways next offseason, it may be better for the star TE to end his career playing at a high level. Although this decision has not yet been made, there is no doubt that the Chiefs have already begun preparations for his departure.
These preparations include looking at the TE free agency pool, and this year’s group is an excellent one. There is top-end talent and great depth, which is a perfect scenario for the Chiefs. Obviously, they wouldn’t want Kelce to retire, but if he does, now may be the best time for the Chiefs.
According to CBS Sports’ John Breech, one of the top TEs on the market may be the perfect option for the Chiefs, that being Atlanta Falcons TE Kyle Pitts: “If he ends up retiring (Kelce), and even if he stays, he probably has a year left. So, I think Kyle Pitts would be an interesting addition in Kansas City.”
Adding Pitts to the Chiefs’ offense, regardless of Kelce staying, would be a scary outcome for the rest of the NFL. Since being drafted by the Falcons, Pitts has been a dynamic weapon who finally showed what his potential is last season.
In 2025, per PFSN’s TE Impact Metric, Pitts was 2nd in receiving yards (928), 2nd in targets (118), and 8th overall among all TEs. Throughout his young career, he has 15 total touchdowns.
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The first domino that needs to fall is whether the Falcons will bring back Pitts, which is a likely outcome after last season, but if he does hit the open market, the Chiefs could and should have heavy interest in the star TE.
