Fans have wondered who the Kansas City Chiefs will eventually get to replace future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce. Though Kelce hasn’t confirmed he will actually retire at the end of the 2026 season, many expect him to do exactly that given he’s now married to Taylor Swift and has nothing left to prove in the NFL. Finding a one-for-one replacement isn’t going to happen given Kelce’s resume: 11 Pro Bowls, seven All-Pro selections, three Super Bowl championships, No. 2 all-time in receiving yards (13,301), No. 3 all-time in receptions (1,100), and No. 5 all-time in touchdowns (84) among tight ends.
But ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes there’s at least a competent replacement out there for the Chiefs at least for the next few years. Barnwell recently proposed Kansas City trade a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for tight end Dallas Goedert. He would give Kansas City some leverage against the possibility of Travis Kelce slowing down as the season goes along and work alongside the future Hall of Famer as a potential mismatch over the middle of the field.” The 31-year-old Goedert has recorded 50 or more receptions and 500 or more yards in six of the last eight seasons.
With Jalen Hurts out for the rest of the year, it’s plausible his numbers won’t be as strong as they typically are with backup Tanner McKee throwing him the ball. Goedert could be better used as a weapon in Kansas City, which needs more talented pass-catchers with the injuries to its wide receiver corps. And if Kelce retires in the offseason, the Chiefs could already have a cheapish in-house option to replace him (he will need a new contract, however).
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