Not so long ago, even the most avid Kansas City Chiefs hater would've agreed that Travis Kelce was the best tight end in the National Football League. Both his production and accolades would have warranted it so. However, things change fast in this line of business.
Casual fans and media analysts are often ungrateful and have short memories. It's never about what you did in the past but about what you can do in the future. More often than not, that leads to disrespectful takes and reviews on aging stars.
Notably, that's exactly what happened with Kelce. The Chiefs' future Hall of Famer fell 42 spots in the league's annual top-100 players list. He's now sitting at the No. 79 spot, and that should only light his fire ahead of his potential farewell season.
Kelce was shockingly ranked No. 79 in the NFL's latest Top-100 players list
While we can all agree that Kelce is no longer at the peak of his powers, No. 79 feels way too low. We're talking about a playmaking tight end who averaged over 11 yards per catch and had 76 receptions, 851 receiving yards, and five touchdowns at 36 years old while also playing all 17 games.
The Chiefs' decade-long success has forced them to become the team everyone loves to hate. As such, many won't waste any opportunity to take shots at KC and be quick to count them out. The Chiefs are coming off a disappointing 6-11 campaign, so disrespect is at an all-time high.
That should only light Kelce's competitive fire even more. He should already have more than enough motivation to turn back the clock and give Father Time a run for his money in what will most likely be his final year. But now, things may have gotten a bit personal.
Also, the Chiefs will most definitely need him to play better than the No. 79 player in the league. The Chiefs didn't do much to address the passing game, and even if he's no longer the primary focus of the offense, Kelce should still be Patrick Mahomes' safety valve down the middle of the field.
Kelce's ability to go off-script, improvise, and make adjustments mid-route is second to none in this league. He may not be as fast as he once was, but he's still got reliable hands and should draw plenty of defensive attention on every route.
With a ride into the sunset on the horizon and a chip on his shoulder the size of Missouri, the future Hall of Famer now has more than enough bulletin board material to silence the doubters in 2026.
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