The Kansas City Chiefs are heading into the 2026 season yet again with the concern that this could be Travis Kelce's swan song. Each of the past two years has seen the legend consider his future before ultimately opting to return. This is why the franchise needs to do everything within its power to protect Kelce's health and allow the pass catcher to save his best moments for when the games matter most.
With this in mind, it is time for the Chiefs to make an overdue improvement by signing current free agent Darren Waller. The tight end is coming off a solid 2025 season, offering 283 receiving yards and six touchdowns with the Miami Dolphins. Still sitting in free agency, the Chiefs have a late offseason opportunity to make a meaningful improvement.
Longtime backup Noah Gray remains rostered, but is coming off a tough season with the worst catch percentage of his career (56.7%) and managing zero touchdowns on a measly 178 receiving yards. It is clear the Chiefs owe it to Kelce to provide a more consistent presence that is going to take a level of pressure off early in the season. This is after a 2025 season when the legend was the team's leading receiver and was put into a difficult role.
Chiefs owe it to Travis Kelce to take pressure off aging star with final offseason move
At this late stage of Kelce's career, the tight end needs to be protected, with it being understood that with age comes a higher chance of injury and lower expectations. Even for a player as great as Kelce, there is reason to believe this is the case, and Kansas City owes it to the tight end to bring in another capable contributor.
Waller can help shoulder the early-season load and keep Kelce fresh for the season's biggest moments at the end of the 2026 season and heading into the playoffs. With this in mind, Kansas City should be reaching out and attempting to get a deal done with what is a perfect final move for the KC offense.
Kelce is coming off a season with 851 receiving yards and five touchdowns, pointing to the continued reliance of the offense on the pass catcher. While this is due to the consistency of Kelce, there needs to be an understanding that, at 36, shouldering the same load as early in his career shouldn't be on the table. Adding Waller takes the pressure off and gives the Chiefs their best chance to get the most out of Kelce when the season's pressure is at its height.
Add us as a preferred source on Google