Travis Kelce has been warned to improve his Kansas City Chiefs‘ or risk being dropped by Coach Andy Reid as the 34-year-old continues to look a shadow of his former self in the opening three weeks of the 2024/25 NFL season.
The tight end has made just eight receptions for 69 yards and is far below his averages from previous seasons as he cuts a lonely figure on the field, with Patrick Mahomes preferring to target Rashee Rice instead.
And against the Atlanta Falcons the frustration appeared to be getting to the three-time Super Bowl champion who looked angry and upset on the sidelines at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in another tough showing, despite it being the most productive of the season.
Whilst Mahomes, the quarterback of the team, admitted he hasn’t been throwing to Kelce (just 12 targets) because he’s being doubled, or even tripled, up on by rival defenses, an insider warns Reid’s patience is running thin.
“Nobody expected him to be struggling that much since the beginning of the season,” a source close to the Chiefs star told The U.S Sun. “But he has to bounce back as soon as possible.
“There is a possibility, a big possibility, and he knows it, he feels it, that he can be benched by coach Reid soon if he doesn’t turn things around.”
With the absences of Isiah Pacheco and Hollywood Brown, the Chiefs offense would naturally look for the experienced Kelce to step up his game to drag them through tight contests instead of depending on the defense.
But he made just 30 yards from four receptions against Kirk Cousin’s Falcons side in a 22-17 win but only one of those was for five yards or more and he has served up no touchdowns in the openings of the season.
“He seems to lack confidence compared to last season as he can’t get his dynamic going since the beginning of the season,” the source added. “Even if he says that the most important is that the team wins, we need him.
“And we need him to play at his level very soon, because the pressure on him will keep going higher and higher, as people expect him to deliver week in and week out.”
Who do the Chiefs play next?
Kelce will look to rebound to his form of yesteryear when the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Los Angeles Chargers at 16:25 ET/13:25 PT on Sunday, September 29 at the So-Fi Stadium in California.
The Chargers enter with a 2-1 record and rank second in the AFC West, but in Week 3 suffered their first defeat of the season as the Pittsburgh Steelers won 20-10.
