Travis Kelce’s place on the NFL’s latest Top 100 list reflects the reality of where his game stands entering the 2025-26 season. The former Cincinnati Bearcats tight end and current Kansas City Chiefs star came in at No. 79, a noticeable drop from his No. 36 spot a year ago.
The numbers from last season tell the story. Kelce finished with 76 catches for 851 yards and five touchdowns across 16 games.
He also fell short of 80 receptions for the first time since 2016, his third season in the league. And for the third straight year, he did not get back to 1,000 receiving yards, after putting together a run of seven consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 2016 through 2022.
Even with the slide, Kelce’s résumé in this ranking remains elite. In 13 NFL seasons, he has landed on the Top 100 list 11 times.
He reached No. 5 three different times, doing it in 2020, 2021 and 2022. His first appearance came in 2015 at No. 91, and over the next seven seasons he never dropped outside the Top 30.
Kelce has been trending downward statistically since 2022, but he recently signed a one-year deal worth $12 million that is structured to add years. He has not said whether he plans to retire or keep playing after this season, though the contract leaves him flexibility to stay with the Chiefs or move elsewhere if he chooses. Rumors have been swirling that this could be Kelce’s last dance, but he has not confirmed or denied that himself.
Fourteen years is a long time in the NFL, especially at a position that takes as much punishment as tight end.
In Other News...
Bearcats Face An Early Lineup Test After Key Injury
The Bearcats head into their first competitive games of 2026 in the Bahamas with a little less certainty than they would have liked, and not just because opening weekend always brings its own questions. Cincinnati is set to face the University of Calgary and the University of Victoria, but the early look at the roster has already been altered by an injury in practice, forcing the staff to sort through lineup and role adjustments before the season truly gets going.
Tylen Rileys absence changes the feel of the offense and puts more pressure on the rest of the backcourt to settle in quickly, while the projected starting group also leaves a few defensive questions to be answered once the games begin. The Bearcats still have time to adjust before conference play matters, but these early trips often reveal more than a coach would prefer, and Cincinnati will learn fast how much it can lean on its new combinations. [Read more 🡒]
Tylen Riley's Injury Adds New Question For Cincinnati's Bahamas Trip
The Bearcats trip to the Bahamas has already been pushed back by travel issues, and now there is another wrinkle before the first exhibition game even tips off. Cincinnati will face Victoria on Aug. 4 and Calgary on Aug. 5, with both games set to stream on FloCollege Basketball, giving the staff a first real look at the roster against outside competition after a summer of anticipation.
Tylen Riley will not take part in those games because of a hand injury, leaving the point guard spot without one of the players Cincinnati hoped to evaluate on this trip. There is some optimism he could be available for the fall exhibitions in October, but for now the Bearcats will have to keep sorting through their backcourt plans without him while the rest of the group gets its first game action in a new setting. [Read more 🡒]