Chiefs facing major concern as retirement talk grows and offense still depends on their aging superstar

The Kansas City Chiefs hoped the return of their future Hall of Fame tight end would anchor the offense through another postseason run, and Travis Kelce has delivered everything they asked for and more. His 2025 season has been a reminder of why he is one of the greatest to ever play the position. Yet his excellence has also triggered an unexpected concern inside the building as the franchise inches closer to the moment football without Kelce becomes a reality.

Kelce has produced 59 receptions for 719 yards and five touchdowns, putting him on pace for one of his best scoring seasons and once again ranking among the league’s elite in yards after the catch. His ability to turn routine catches into momentum-shifting gains remains unmatched, but that dominance has raised questions from those watching closely. If a 36-year-old contemplating retirement is still the engine of Kansas City’s offense, what does it say about the players meant to inherit his role?

Sports Illustrated writer Dominic Minchella captured that worry, pointing directly to the Chiefs’ growing dependency on Kelce as his career winds down. “At the end of the season Kelce will need to decide whether he’ll return in 2026. With that question mark hanging over the organization it’s both a blessing and a curse that the veteran is still leading the Chiefs in such an important offensive category,” he wrote, highlighting Kelce’s league-leading yards-after-catch production.

Minchella emphasized that only one other Chief appears in the league’s top 20 in YAC — Rashee Rice at No. 18 — while rising talents like Xavier Worthy have yet to consistently elevate into the roles envisioned for them. “Yes it’s nice for nostalgia that a legend is still keeping up with the league’s best. But it’s concerning that the players considered ‘the future’ aren’t in his position,” he added.

Kansas City’s struggles extend beyond future planning. The Thanksgiving loss to the Dallas Cowboys dropped them to 6–6, tenth in the AFC, and two full games behind the playoff line. The Chiefs have already lost key tiebreakers against teams ahead of them, narrowing their margin for error to essentially zero. For Travis Kelce, the stakes are enormous. Without an immediate turnaround, this could become his first playoff miss since 2014.

Patrick Mahomes acknowledged the urgency with blunt clarity. The Chiefs must win out — every one of their final five games — to stay alive in the postseason race. “We’re going to play a lot of good teams coming up. If we’re going to make the playoffs we’re going to have to win them all. That’s the mindset,” Mahomes said.

Still, Mahomes emphasized that belief remains strong even in a turbulent season. “We can beat anybody but we’ve shown we can lose to anybody. We’ve got to be more consistent for four quarters especially against good teams with good offenses.”

The quarterback’s confidence is intact. The execution must follow.

As Kelce weighs retirement and Kansas City fights for survival, the franchise faces two challenges at once: reclaim a playoff spot in the short term and confront the looming question of who will carry the offense when its most reliable pillar finally steps away.