Chiefs GM makes feelings known on Travis Kelce's decline as Patrick Mahomes & Co. get ready for another Super Bowl push

Travis Kelce might be slowing down on the stat sheet, but the Kansas City Chiefs aren’t ready to count him out yet. He finished the 2024 season with career lows in yards (823) and touchdowns (3), but the 35-year-old tight end still holds a special place in Andy Reid's game plan, especially when the stakes are sky-high.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach opened up about Kelce’s future and clarified that the three-time Super Bowl champ still knows how to flip the switch when it matters most.

“The great ones know how to find it,” Veach told ESPN’s Adam Teicher on Friday. “When the games are the most important and the lights are the brightest, he finds it somewhere.”

"There are periods throughout the season where you’re like, ‘This might be it.’ But when the games are the most important and the lights are the brightest, he finds it somewhere," Veach continued.

That said, Kansas City is preparing for life after peak Kelce. Rashee Rice is back on track, Hollywood Brown is in the mix, and expectations are high for second-year wide receiver Xavier Worthy. Patrick Mahomes will have more healthy weapons at his disposal than last year.

Noah Gray is evolving at tight end, coming off a breakout season with 437 yards and five touchdowns. While Kelce may not be a weekly wrecking ball anymore, Veach believes the football world shouldn't be surprised when he shows up in January.

Patrick Mahomes makes his expectations from Travis Kelce crystal clear

Kansas City Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes wants his partner in crime in full form when the 2025 NFL season begins, as Andy Reid's men prepare for another Super Bowl push, after missing out on a historic three-peat.

"I expect Travis to be Travis,” Mahomes said at Chiefs' mandatory minicamp last month. "Obviously, the play on the field's going to be high. He's going to go out there with the mentality that we're trying to win the Super Bowl this year with us falling short this last year."

Kelce, entering the final year of a $34.25 million deal, remains the heartbeat of Kansas City’s offense—both on the field and in the locker room.

"He’s ready to go," Mahomes added. “He’s been putting in the work this offseason."