The Kansas City Chiefs have made it clear that star tight endTravis Kelce will be playing in Week 18 despite the franchise being far removed from the playoff picture. According to A to Z Sports' Charles Goldman on Monday, head coach Andy Reid told reporters that Kelce is expected to suit up against the Las Vegas Raiders, in what many fans are speculating could be his final NFL game.
Everything about the way the tight end has played this season and approached his off-the-field comments suggests that this is it for the NFL legend.
K.C. fans can't help but be selfish and wish for one more season, especially after how rocky a ride the 2025 campaign was. However, legends rarely get the exit they deserve, and opting to play the tight end in a meaningless game suggests there is some knowledge from decision-makers that this is indeed the final game. While it is completely the right call to play Kelce if it is the pass-catcher's final game, it also serves as a missed opportunity for the Chiefs to assess their younger options.
Chiefs Playing Travis Kelce in Week 18 Will Come at a Cost
Heading into an uncertain offseason, Week 18 could be a great chance to evaluate fellow TEs Noah Gray or Jared Wiley in starting roles. While Gray has struggled this season, a meaningless final week could've been his shot at redemption after tallying 18 catches for 148 touchdown-less yards in the first 15 games. For Wiley, who only has one catch this year, it serves as a potential opportunity to force his way into Kansas City's 2026 plans.
Yes, the duo is signed through 2027; however, that doesn't change the fact that it still isn't clear if either is ready to handle TE1 duties if Kelce hangs them up. Upping Wiley and Gray's snap count and targets against the Raiders, who are tied for allowing the 13th-most touchdowns to tight ends this season (six), seems like a brilliant plan.
Instead, the Chiefs will be completely focused on giving Kelce as many opportunities as possible and sending out the legend in an appropriate fashion. It is the right decision, but one that does rob two players in a questionable situation of a needed opportunity. If Kelce does walk away after this game, it'll be interesting to see if the Chiefs will regret not testing their returning TEs before the offseason.
Dallas Goedert, Kyle Pitts, and Isaiah Likely are the headline TEs slated to hit free agency as the Chiefs approach a pivotal offseason. Losing Kelce is an insult to injury when you're looking at rebuilding a group of playmakers that will have a far heavier workload placed on them heading into 2026. Mahomes will be coming off an ACL repair, not needing to put on his cape each week as he settles back in.
This makes the potential loss of Kelce sting all the more, and makes this week's send-off important. Playing a Raiders team that let go of the rope long ago, the Chiefs will have a great chance to send Kelce out in an appropriate fashion.
And, who knows? Perhaps piling up numbers that will force Kelce to think twice about walking away.
At the end of the day, Week 18 will mean when it comes to the Chiefs' TE room moving forward, leaving time to tell if they'll give the future a shot before the present calls it a career.