Travis Kelce’s Tough Stretch Continues as Chiefs Eye Playoff Push Amid Kyle Pitts Buzz
The Kansas City Chiefs are in unfamiliar territory-and not in a good way. After a 20-10 loss to the Houston Texans, they’ve dropped two straight and now sit third in the AFC West.
And at the center of the storm? Travis Kelce.
The All-Pro tight end, a three-time Super Bowl champ and future Hall of Famer, had a critical fourth-quarter drop last week that helped seal the Chiefs’ fate in Houston. It was the kind of moment that can define a season-and not in the way Kansas City fans are used to.
Kelce’s numbers this year aren’t bad by any stretch: 727 yards and five touchdowns through 13 games. But by his own elite standards-and in the context of a Chiefs offense that’s been searching for rhythm-they’re not quite what we’ve come to expect.
And Kelce knows it.
On this week’s episode of the New Heights podcast, the veteran tight end didn’t sugarcoat his emotions. He was raw, real, and visibly frustrated.
“It’s been a tough fing go around for the past two days,” Kelce said. “You put in all this fing work and hope that it pays off. And right now, just for whatever f***ing reason, man, it’s little things… I can’t find the answers.”
He went on to express how much the mistake stung-especially given the stakes and the trust placed in him by quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the fanbase.
“It’s a sy fing feeling, especially dropping the fing ball late in the game like that when we were on our last fing chance to make it… I just wasn’t that [guy] for you.”
It’s clear Kelce is feeling the weight of the moment, not just as a player, but as a leader in a locker room that’s still trying to find its groove as the postseason approaches.
Enter Kyle Pitts?
While Kelce wrestles with his own performance, the rumor mill is heating up. NFL insider Art Stapleton stirred the pot with a bold statement on social media:
“Chiefs are going to sign Kyle Pitts to replace Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes is going to turn him into Tony Gonzalez.”
That’s a loaded prediction, but it didn’t come out of nowhere. Pitts is coming off a monster game in Atlanta’s 29-28 win over Tampa Bay, where he posted 166 yards and three touchdowns on 11 catches. On the season, he’s up to 797 yards and four scores-numbers that jump off the page, especially considering Atlanta’s 5-9 record.
The idea of pairing Pitts with Mahomes is tantalizing. Pitts has always had the physical tools-size, speed, hands-but he’s never had a quarterback like Mahomes. If Kansas City is looking toward the future, Pitts could be a natural heir to Kelce’s throne.
What’s Next for the Chiefs?
Kelce, now in the final year of a two-year, $34.25 million extension signed in 2024, isn’t done yet. But with the Chiefs sitting at 6-7 and facing a must-win game against the Chargers on Sunday, the urgency is real.
This is a team that’s used to dominating December. Right now, they’re just trying to survive it.
The offense has looked out of sync, and while the defense has done its part, Mahomes and Kelce haven’t been able to recapture the magic that’s defined their partnership for the better part of a decade.
Whether this is just a rough patch or the beginning of a changing of the guard remains to be seen. But one thing’s clear: the Chiefs’ margin for error is gone, and every snap moving forward matters.
Sunday against the Chargers could be a turning point. For Kelce.
For Mahomes. For a Chiefs team that’s still searching for answers-and hoping they find them before it’s too late.