Had the Kansas City Chiefs prevailed in Super Bowl LIX, it’s likely tight end Travis Kelce would have already announced his NFL retirement by now. Departing after sealing the NFL’s first-ever three-peat would have provided an unmatchable high for Kelce’s career. But since the Chiefs lost, the 35-year-old Kelce could be mulling his future more intensely. And his organization is only giving him one month to make up his mind.
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Shannon Sharpe, while discussing Kansas City’s deadline on Kelce, mentioned the Chiefs will have a big void to fill if the TE walks away from the game. So, they can’t afford the luxury of kindness when it comes to his choice.
Sharpe felt that the Chiefs need to know as soon as possible if they will need to take action — and potentially make a splashy trade. Shannon had a name in mind as a potential trade target.
“I’m running a football team… I need to know, ‘Hey, do I need to make a trade? Hey Atlanta, can I get Kyle Pitts from you?’ I’ve got to make a decision based on this football team,” said Sharpe on Nightcap.
Pitts, the No. 4 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, has failed to meet monumental expectations since joining the Falcons. The 24-year-old tight end was considered a unicorn-type prospect but has amassed just 2,651 yards in 61 NFL games. Atlanta’s current general manager and head coach didn’t draft him, which is fueling his trade rumors.
Pitts would likely have significant demand if Atlanta decides to trade him. He still possesses immense talent and is young enough to be a long-term solution at tight end. He’s a perfect buy-low candidate for Kansas City.
But if Kelce returned, neither the Chiefs nor Pitts would get the full taste of one another before his contract expires. That’s why Kansas City, in Sharpe’s mind, can’t let the situation linger.
“I can’t let this thing drag out… that’s what Green Bay got tired of [with] Brett Favre… same thing with Aaron Rodgers… I can’t wait till the umpteenth hour,” added Sharpe.
Tight end could also become a bigger NFL Draft priority for the Chiefs if Kelce retires. When you put it all together, one can understand why the Chiefs are operating with such urgency. But that doesn’t mean everyone supports them doing so.
Chad Johnson expected “more grace” from the Chiefs on Kelce
NFL franchises like to say that the same set of rules apply to every member of the roster. However, superstars are often given varying degrees of preferential treatment by their organizations and others.
If Deshaun Watson hadn’t excelled in the NFL before his massive scandal, he’d have been released without a second thought. Instead, he signed a fully guaranteed $230 million contract one year later.
The Watson example is extreme, but it illustrates the point: superstars receive some liberties that regular players don’t. And Kelce may be the greatest tight end in NFL history. Despite this, the Chiefs haven’t offered him much warning in advance of an exit ramp. As much as Chad Johnson understands why, it rubs him the wrong way.
“They want to know what he’s going to do sooner than later so they can look forward to what [they’re] going to do next… I would have thought they would have given someone, especially like Kelce… a little more grace as opposed to rushing him to make a decision,” said Ocho.
People within the league routinely preach that the NFL is a business. It’s one Kelce has profited from greatly throughout his career. But eventually, in some form or fashion, every player must pay the piper. For Kelce, that time is now.
