The announcement of Travis Kelce’s return to the NFL for another season has fans of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrating that one of the top tight ends in NFL history is staying in the game.
Kelce had been mulling over the possibility of calling it a career, but ultimately decided to come back for his 13th NFL season.
Despite having something of a down year last season in terms of receiving yards and touchdowns (both career lows), keeping Kelce is a win for the Chiefs both on and off the field.
Former Chiefs quarterback Chase Daniel tried to put the decision into context on Fox Sports’ show ‘The Facility’.
He referenced when Chiefs general manager Brett Veach indicated that Kelce was leaning toward a return to playing next season.
‘I think you heard it in his voice yesterday at the combine, or two days ago when he said, “Hey, we’re excited to have Travis Kelce back.” But I think it’s really important,’ Daniel said.
‘In fact, I would go as far as saying, I don’t know for certain if they make it back to the Super Bowl without Travis Kelce. It’s not only what he does on the field, because what he does on the field… last season, people are saying his stats declined.
‘He’s had 133 targets, 97 catches. That’s a lot of catches. Now, I get it, three receiving touchdowns. Receiving yards, probably the lowest in his career when he’s been healthy.
‘That says the story on the field, which is a bona fide… If you would say 97 catches tight-end, that’s a number one tight end, and in my opinion, one of the greatest of all times, if not the greatest of all times.’
Daniel then went on to say that next season might be less about what Kelce is able to do on the field, but more what he does in the locker room and on the sidelines.
‘The leadership for him, I would go as far as saying that Travis Kelce is the number one emotional leader on the Chiefs. Forget about Chris Jones, forget about Patrick Mahomes.
‘Patrick Mahomes, in my opinion, is a lead by example guy. When he needs to get into your face, sure, we’ll see it. Travis Kelce, I played with him as well. He, even as a young guy, was ra-ra in your face.
‘The relationship between him and Andy Reid is special. I think Andy would struggle, personally, a little bit if Travis wasn’t on the team, just because when they need a play call, and Andy’s like, “I don’t know what to do,” he’s going to the Kelce section of his play call sheet.
‘You have Rashee Rice, who I think, and they think, is a bona fide number one receiver in this league moving forward. I think they’re going to sign Hollywood Brown back. Then you have Xavier Worthy.
‘Realistically, Travis Kelce might be your fourth option. 97 catches for a fourth option? Sign me up. It’s way more than you do on the field. It’s all the stuff you do off the field. I think his value this next season is the off the field stuff.’
