Former NFL front-office executive and ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum ignited a fresh debate Monday when he publicly urged the Kansas City Chiefs to move on from longtime star Travis Kelce rather than bring him back for the 2026 season.
Between questions about his recent production, his age, and the franchise’s evolving roster needs, Kelce’s future in Kansas City has become one of the offseason’s defining storylines.
And that’s what makes this moment significant.
Kelce is a future Hall of Famer and one of the defining players of the Chiefs’ dynasty era, earning 11 Pro Bowl selections, seven All-Pro nods, and three Super Bowl titles as the Chiefs’ primary pass-catcher.
Beyond the numbers, he has been a tone-setter in the locker room, a security blanket for quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and a global brand ambassador whose visibility reaches well beyond football.
If he leaves, it would signal a massive shift for the NFL’s most successful franchise of the past decade.
Tannenbaum’s point is straightforward: focus on the future, don’t live in the past.
“I wouldn’t do it,” Tannenbaum said. “When you’re in the front office, and you’re a head coach, you have to make the honest and sober observation that you want to pay a player for what they’re going to do, not what they’ve done.”
He pointed to the league’s youth movement at tight end, name-checking players like Trey McBride, Brock Bowers, and Sam LaPorta, all in their mid-20s and ascending.
“There are some really good tight ends in the draft, like Kenyon Sadiq, Max Klare, and Michael Trigg, among others,” Tannenbaum added. “If I’m Kansas City, go get the next guy. Honor Travis Kelce for what he’s done, but go get the next young tight end and go take care of these other needs — tackle, running back, and receiver.”
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Kelce posted 851 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 76 catches in 2025, ranking fourth among tight ends in yards and sixth in receptions.
Still, the numbers reflect a measurable pullback from his peak. He dropped from 97 catches in 2024 to 76 last season, and he finished under 900 receiving yards for a second straight year after previously recording seven consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, an NFL record for a tight end.
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At 36, Tannenbaum’s argument is that the Chiefs should prioritize youth and explosiveness at the position rather than invest in a player whose best years are well behind him.
However, with Mahomes expected to miss a significant portion of the 2026 season while rehabbing a torn ACL and LCL, moving on from a high-floor veteran like Kelce suddenly carries far more short-term risk.
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