NFL fans have been growing quite concerned about one of the league’s greatest tight ends in history, Travis Kelce. Kelce has been in the league and has been successful for much longer than usual tight ends, but it appears the wheels may be coming off now.
NFL Fans Calling For Travis Kelce To Retire After Awful 2024 Start
Kelce’s start has been so bad, that the calls for him to retire after the season are not even an overreaction. Specifically comparing Kelce to himself shows that it’s just about time to call it a career and walk into the sunset. Both fans and experts think that this should be Kelce’s last year.
Kelce has only 8 catches for 69 yards in all three Chiefs games combined in this season. That would be a pretty week single game from Kelce as we have grown to know him, let alone a three-game stretch. He may just be saving himself for the postseason, but that would be another highlight that it may be time to walk away from the game.
Kelce looked exhausted in the game on Sunday night, and a bit miserable to say the least. This has been the worst stretch of his career in a decade.
Former Super Bowl champion Rodney Harrison is blaming Kelce’s poor start on his off-the-field endeavors, not to mention the highest-profile relationship in the country. He has set himself up for his post-football life but is still playing:
“He’s busy. He’s got a lot on his plate. You think about it. He’s doing a lot of different things. Media-wise, he’s playing football, he’s got other things going on,” Harrison said.
“When you’re in that situation you’ve got to forget about everything else and focus 100 per cent on football. That’s the main responsibility. Guys are making plays on him. Jessie Bates did a heck of a job on him tonight.
“He (Kelce) just doesn’t have the same speed. He’s a good player still but I don’t believe he’s a great, great player.”
NFL fans backed what Harrison was saying as well:
“Kelce is so washed bro just retire and enjoy life with yo girl,” one fan wrote.
“Kelce just looks so old out there just retire and go be an actor,” one fan added.
“I hate to say it but I think Kelce will retire after this season if they don’t win it again,” another fan wrote.
Patrick Mahomes Disagrees
It comes as no shock that the Chiefs’ legendary quarterback disagrees with this sentiment and has a different cause for Kelce’s slow start this season. It should also be a good time to mention that the Chiefs are undefeated with Kelce being a non-factor which should scare the NFL!
Mahomes however, credits the success they have had as a team because Kelce is getting covered by two or more defenders which is freeing up space for the players.
“Yeah, it’s crazy because teams still — the respect factor they have for Travis is just unreal,” Mahomes said. “It’s well-deserved, but we’re calling a lot of plays for Travis, and it’s like two or three people are going to him. So, I mean, he understands.
“I think that’s the great thing about him is he wants to make an impact on the game, but he wants to win at the end of the day.”
Ope pic.twitter.com/XtDLkW9D5d
— holls ⸆⸉ (@holltoleratesit) September 23, 2024
Kelce has seen that coverage before, however, and was still able to put up some of the greatest numbers in the history of the game. It seems Mahomes may be covering for his lack of production, but at the same time, they do not need much from him to be beating some quality teams. Although many fans would chalk that up to help from the referees.
While it is only week 3 and Kelce can always turn it around, head coach Andy Reid says we should expect to see this all year, which continues to push the emotion that is indeed Travis Kelce’s last season in the league. We should all savor it, as Kelce is one of the greatest players and personalities to ever play the game.
Related: NFL Fans Are Getting Nervous For Kansas City Chiefs Star Travis Kelce
