After an embarrassing loss at Super Bowl LIX, the 2025 regular season was supposed to be one of redemption and vengeance for Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. Instead, the only thing that anyone seems to be talking about through the first month of the season is how the star tight end shoulder checked Xavier Worthy in Week 1 before he quite literally presented the Philadelphia Eagles with the ball in Week 2.
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Even though they were finally able to find a win in Week 3, their performance against the New York Giants was anything but convincing, especially when you consider their missed touchdown opportunity. Nevertheless, Mahomes is continuing to shoulder the blame, as any QB1 should.
“I got greedy and was trying to throw the ball down the field instead of just getting the football to him earlier,” Mahomes explained in reference to Kelce’s dropped touchdown pass. Despite his recent struggles, Mahomes has remained adamant about Kelce’s capabilities on the field.
“I think he’s done a great job this year at getting open and making stuff happen. For me, it’s just about getting the football to him and giving him more opportunities. As I watch film, he’s getting more open than even the opportunities that I’m giving him. Just trusting him that he’s going to make the plays happen and I’m sure, as the season goes on, he’s going to continue to make big plays.”
Throughout the first three weeks, Kelce has recorded just 10 catches for 134 receiving yards and one touchdown on 17 total targets. He’s currently on track to finish the season with 759 receiving yards, 57 catches, and six touchdowns, which would be some of the worst regular-season totals of his entire career.
At 35 years of age, Kelce is far from being the explosive tight end that he once was. During his Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, he was routinely the last player to come out of his stance, and even now, he’s seemingly more interested in screaming at Andy Reid on the sidelines than anything else.
Following the announcement of his engagement to Taylor Swift, many assumed that this would be the final regular season of his career. Should that prove to be the case, then it’s certainly off to the wrong start.
Unfortunately, things won’t get any easier for him, as the Baltimore Ravens are coming to town this week. The Ravens defense limited Kelce to just four targets, three catches, and 34 receiving yards, the last time these two teams squared off.
However, their defense has softened against tight ends so far this year. Baltimore is currently allowing an average of 72.5 receiving yards per game to opposing TEs. Pair that with the added support of Mahomes, and Kelce could be in store for a bounce-back performance in Week 4.
The Ravens are also averaging 32 points per game right now, meaning that Mahomes will likely have to throw early and often in order to avoid falling to 1-3. So, even if they aren’t able to come away with the win, they should at least be able to provide Kelce with enough volume to help boost his confidence for the remainder of the season.
