Kansas City Chiefs: Why trading Travis Kelce isn’t crazy idea
By John McCarty
Would Brett Veach and the Kansas City Chiefs seriously consider trading Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce? This year, not likely. Next year, however, all bets are off.
A small hornets nest has been stirred up when local morning radio host Bob Fescoe of 610 Sports Radio went on the air and said the Kansas City Chiefs should consider moving on from Travis Kelce.
Now, do I believe the Chiefs should look to add a tight end early in the upcoming NFL Draft? Yes, I do. A tight end such as Noah Fant of Iowa or Jace Sternberger of Texas A&M would be ideal adds to the Chiefs roster. With Demetrius Harris having moved on, there is a significant opening for a second tight end to contribute immediately.
So, is trading Travis Kelce an actual possibility? Yes, if we have learned anything with Brett Veach as general manager, it’s that any player (excluding Patrick Mahomes) is available for the right offer.
With that said, do I think the Chiefs would trade Kelce this offseason? No. Next offseason is another story though.
In the National Football League, players go from young to old in the blink of an eye.
The Chiefs, very quietly perhaps, are having a very Patriots-esque offseason.
Gone are high priced veterans (Eric Berry, Justin Houston) and the ‘one trick pony’ in Dee Ford. Brought in is versatile safety Tyrann Mathieu, corner Bashaud Breeland along with defensive linemen Alex Okafor and Emmanuel Ogbah. Only Mathieu and Okafor have multiple years on their contract and only Okafor is under contract into in his 30-year age season.
This is relevant for Kelce because he will turn 30 during the upcoming football season. Turning 30 is the petals falling off the rose in the NFL. The Chiefs appear to have taken the approach of youth in their free agent pursuits and are avoiding long term deals. With Kelce being 30, the Chiefs may view the time being next offseason as the time to move on.
Age alone isn’t an issue, the longer a guy plays in the NFL, the more likely he is to get hurt and the older he is (as we all know), the more difficult it can be to recover from injury. So it’s not just the age, it’s the possibility of getting dinged and hurt.
Which leads us to…