The Kansas City Chiefs are 10-1 this season. Over the years, tight end Travis Kelce has been one of the main parts of the Chiefs offense with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Nov 24, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray (83) celebrates his touchdown with quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) and tight end Travis Kelce (87) during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Imag
Kelce is 35 years old and it will be interesting to see how much longer he will play for in the NFL. This season, he has caught 68 passes for 569 yards receiving and two touchdowns, along with averaging 8.4 yards per reception.
Nov 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Justin Walley (5) and defensive back Koi Perich (3) tackle Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) during the second quarter at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
At some point, the Chiefs are going to have to figure out life after Travis Kelce. There could be a chance that Kelce retires at the end of the 2024 NFL season. It may not matter if the Chiefs three-peat or not. Jason Kelce retired last offseason. Maybe, Travis Kelce would want to spend more time with his girlfriend Taylor Swift.
Pro Football Focus writer Gordon McGuinness created a 2025 NFL Mock Draft. In his latest edition, he has the Kansas City Chiefs selecting tight end Tyler Warren from the Penn State Nittany Lions with the 31st overall pick. McGuinness said:
“A long-term replacement for Travis Kelce will be the go-to selection in many mock drafts for the Chiefs this offseason, and Warren could be exactly the type of target quarterback Patrick Mahomes loves in the middle of the field.
Warren has been outstanding this season, earning a 92.6 PFF receiving grade, averaging 3.12 yards per route run, and dropping just one of the 76 catchable passes thrown his way.”
Warren has been the pass catcher and best offensive player for Penn State all season long for quarterback Drew Allar. Tyler Warren and Patrick Mahomes would be able to develop chemistry right away under head coach Andy Reid.
Warren Stats
Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) celebrates with Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) and Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh (68) after scoring a touchdown Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, during the NCAA football game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.
This season with Penn State, he has caught 75 passes for 910 yards receiving and five touchdowns, along with averaging 12.1 yards per carry. The Nittany Lions have also used him in the ground game. He has 157 yards rushing on 18 carries and four touchdowns, along with averaging 8.7 yards per carry.
The Kansas City Chiefs do have Noah Gray on the roster, but Tyler Warren would be the better long-term replacement with more upside to replace Travis Kelce. This is something to watch for after the 2024 NFL season.
