The Kansas City Chiefs have lost once again, sending Patrick Mahomes to his first three-game losing streak of his career. But with a touchdown through the air and ground, Mahomes was far from the problem. Instead, it was arguably Travis Kelce’s modest performance that played a huge role in the defeat.
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One specific blunder by Kelce came at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The Chiefs were on a 14-play, 74-yard drive that had taken eight minutes off the clock. Down 13-10, it was the perfect time to strike for a touchdown and regain control of the game.
Mahomes then snapped the ball on the Philadelphia Eagles’ 6-yard line. He spotted Kelce open over the middle at the goal line and decided to give his trusty tight end a chance to make a play. But Kelce juggled the pass, which popped perfectly into an Eagles defender’s hands. It was a critical interception that led to Philly scoring a touchdown, making the scoreline read 20-10 and putting the game out of reach.
Naturally, both NFL fans and analysts had their takes on Kelce’s blunder and his place in his career. One of them was the famed analyst Skip Bayless, who went on to criticize the tight end, even saying others weren’t calling him out enough.
“Tom Brady wouldn’t say it on the FOX telecast, but I’m going to say it right here, right now: Travis Kelce dropped the game at Arrowhead,” Bayless said in his rant session posted on Twitter.
“The reason the Chiefs lost is because Travis Kelce dropped a touchdown pass at the goalline that I believe would’ve put the Chiefs in a position to win the football game. Mr. Taylor Swift,” he added.
The analyst went on to argue that it feels like Kelce is almost uncriticizable right now because of how big he is in the media. This is why Bayless felt that the FOX broadcast wasn’t going to call out the tight end for the blunder. But being the controversial media figure he is, Bayless wasn’t afraid to do so.
Bayless continued his blunt analysis, suggesting that Kelce’s best days are behind him.
“Mahomes pops one over the middle to the guy that used to be Batman to Mahomes’ Batman. They didn’t have Batman and Robin- they had 2 Batmen. That’s how good Kelce was in his prime, which he has left behind,” said the analyst.
In his prime, Kelce was regularly putting up 1000 receiving yards and around 10 touchdowns a season. But he hasn’t reached either mark since 2022. So, it’s not egregious to suggest that he’s past his prime. It’s actually a well-known fact.
Bayless also believes Kelce deserves more criticism, as he hasn’t stepped up in the absence of the team’s other top receiving options.
“You’re down 2 really good receivers, which puts even more onus on 87 as your security blanket, as the guy who has to catch the pass that is going to win the game. Super Bowl rematch against a team that had you down 40-6 with under three minutes left in the Super Bowl,” Bayless pointed out.
This is the beginning of the end of Travis Kelce pic.twitter.com/mLtoWLfvFo
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) September 15, 2025
Chiefs wideout Xavier Worthy was ruled out ahead of Sunday’s game. With Rashee Rice still serving a six-game suspension, the team needed Kelce to step up. And while he led the team in receiving, he only tallied 61 yards and no touchdowns.
Other than Kelce, Mahomes now has to throw to guys like Marquise Brown, Tyquan Thornton, and JuJu Smith-Schuster. It’s a below-average receiving corps, and with Kelce’s lack of stepping up, one has to think that Mahomes is getting frustrated. At least, Bayless seems to think so.
“As much as Patrick Mahomes loves Travis Kelce and owes Travis Kelce for so many big completions in so many big moments and big games. Last time I saw him rise and shine was at Baltimore two playoffs ago.”
It was an interesting analysis from Bayless, and he said some things that other fans have been wanting to be talked about. At the end of the day, though, it’s a bit of an overreaction.
Sure, the Chiefs lost the game, and Kelce’s blunder was a factor as to why. But we all know what the deal is right now. As we just laid out, the team is dealing with injuries, and Kelce is being thrust into the primary role again. Yet, at the age of 35, we all know he’s not “that guy” anymore.
Kelce still led the team in receiving, and had an awesome 23-yard catch and run where he gave Cooper DeJean a facewash. Even though he made a critical error that one could argue lost the Chiefs the game, he should still be a very solid option once the team is fully healthy.
Asking Kelce to be a primary target in 2025 is a bit much. But making him the third option alongside speedsters like Worthy and Rice could definitely work. Sunday was definitely a moment to forget, though, for Mr. Taylor Swift.
