Former Eagles linebacker drops verdict on Chiefs’ for 2025 NFL season - “Need to stop depending on Travis Kelce”

The future of Travis Kelce was a hot topic of discussion at the start of the offseason. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end still had time left on his contract, but at 35 years of age, it was unclear whether he would continue to play in the NFL or hang up the boots.

Kelce, who entered the league as a third-round pick in the 2013 NFL draft, decided to continue his career. However, his impact has diminished in the past two seasons, as he failed to reach the 1,000-yard mark once again.

Former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho, who currently works as an analyst for Fox Sports, believes that it's time for the Chiefs to change their plan regarding the tight end. With his skills diminishing through age, Acho believes the Chiefs should plan beside him, and not around him.

"Travis Kelce needs to be the icing, not the cake. Let's build a team that can win a Super Bowl without Travis Kelce and be glad that we have Travis Kelce," Aho said on FS1's 'The Facility'.

"We need to stop depending on Kelce to go for 10-plus touchdowns. I don't want to depend on him to beat man coverage anymore, because the tape suggested he's not as good doing that at 35, 36 as he was at 25, 26. And that's fair. I don't think the Chiefs should still depend on Kelce to be that guy," he added.

The Chiefs failed to complete a historic three-peat in Super Bowl LIX, as the Eagles won 40-22. Kansas City aimed to become the first-ever team to win three straight Super Bowls, but failed at the last obstacle.

Travis Kelce has fifth-highest cap hit on Chiefs' 2025 roster

Even if he's past his prime, Kelce's cost to the Chiefs is still high. The tight end will cost $19.8 million in the 2025 cap, the fifth-highest on the team, per Spotrac..

Here's a closer look at the five Chiefs players with the highest cap hit on the roster for the 2025 season:

Patrick Mahomes, quarterback ($66.2 million)
Chris Jones, defensive tackle ($34.8 million)
Jawaan Taylor, right tackle ($27.3 million)
Trey Smith, guard ($23.4 million)
Travis Kelce, tight end ($19.8 million).

Trey Smith has a higher cap hit than Kelce because he's under the franchise tag. The franchise will negotiate a long-term extension with him, which could lower his number in a new contract structure.