The Kansas City Chiefs are trying to cement themselves as a dynasty by winning their third Super Bowl in a row. They have gotten off to a good start, beginning the 2024 NFL season undefeated 3-0, but they are notably not winning their games easily.
So far, Kansas City has beaten the Baltimore Ravens by seven, the Cincinnati Bengals by one, and the Atlanta Falcons by five. All three of their opponents have been criticized for their bad starts, but wins are wins in the NFL. Still, as the Chiefs look to settle into a groove, they are missing an impact player on offense.
Star tight end Travis Kelce is healthy but has taken a notable step back in his production. He also started the 2023 season slowly, but in Week 3, the tight end seemed to be going through it when sitting on the team's bench.
— 🏈👑 (@TayvisHaze) September 23, 2024
Kelce has not seen his normal target share, leading fans to wonder if he has been benched. Here, we give the latest updates for Kansas City and how they are approaching their star tight end.
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Did the Chiefs bench Travis Kelce?
Not officially. Despite speculation, head coach Andy Reid has not indicated that the team has benched Kelce. Kelce has seen fewer targets per game than he has in recent years, and it looks like some things are just off between him and quarterback Patrick Mahomes' timing.
Kelce has had several off-the-field things come up as he looks to set up his career post-football. He and his brother Jason have the New Heights podcast, which has been wildly successful. Kelce finally got into acting past TV commercials with his role in the new FX show Grotesquerie.
Fans on social media were quick to blame Taylor Swift, but another factor is that Kelce is also about to be 35 and is playing in his 12th NFL season.
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Travis Kelce stats 2024
Kelce's first three games in 2024
| Games | Targets | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Touchdowns | |
| 2024 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 69 | 0 |
Kelce's first three games in 2023
| Games | Targets | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Touchdowns | |
| 2023 | 3 | 26 | 17 | 155 | 2 |
When looking at the numbers, things look bleak. Kelce still has the second-most targets and third-most receiving yards on the team. He hasn't scored a touchdown, but Kansas City only has four receiving touchdowns through three games; one was by an offensive tackle.
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QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Chiefs tight end depth chart
| Position | Player Name |
| 1. | Travis Kelce |
| 2. | Noah Gray |
| 3. | Jared Wiley |
Noah Gray
Gray was drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Some thought he would eventually replace Kelce, but he has been a solid complement to the starting tight end for now. Gray has played in 53 career games and has 690 yards and four touchdowns.
| Games | Targets | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Receiving Touchdowns | |
| 2024 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 50 | 0 |
Jared Wiley
The 6-6 Wiley was a fourth-round pick this year by Kansas City. He spent two years playing for Texas and then transferred to TCU for the final three years of his college career. As a rookie, Wiley has only one reception for seven yards.
Travis Kelce Contract
Kelce signed a two-year contract extension to keep him with Kansas City through the 2025 season. The intention was for it to allow him to finish his playing career with the Chiefs. The extension was for $32,250,000 with $17 million guaranteed.
