DINH DOONG

Eight catches for 69 yards has been a fairly normal game for Travis Kelce through the course of his great career. He has had at least 69 yards in 80 regular-season games and another 17 times in the playoffs.

This season, eight catches for 69 yards is his three-game output.

Kelce has had a slow start to the season and it’s impossible to not wonder if the age curve he has gracefully dodged for so long has finally caught up to the Kansas City Chiefs star. No tight end at age 35 (Kelce turns 35 on Oct. 5), has ever had a great season in the NFL. There has never been a 1,000-yard season for a tight end 35 years or older. Tony Gonzalez is the only one to reach 900 yards, and only Ben Watson, Shannon Sharpe and Antonio Gates got to 700.

Kelce can still hit those marks but the start to his season is alarming. Not that he’s showing any concern about it.

Travis Kelce not worried about catches, just wins

On the “New Heights” podcast with his brother Jason, the lack of early season production was brought up. It’s not like Travis Kelce tried denying it. But when asked by Jason if he was frustrated, Travis said that the numbers didn’t matter to him because the Chiefs were winning. Kansas City, seeking its third straight Super Bowl, is 3-0 to begin the season.

“I’ve had a lot of catches in this league, man,” Travis Kelce said. “I’m not worried the catches and the yards and all of that. I have the most fun when I get the ball thrown my way, I mean, who doesn’t? It has everything to do with execution, making sure we’re doing whatever we can to win these football games, man. That’s always going to be the goal.”

Jason Kelce said he can’t wait for things to turn around, and at that point Travis seemed to acknowledge the possibility that it might not.

“And if it doesn’t, as long as we’re winning football games we’re good to go, baby,” Travis Kelce said.

The Chiefs have had close calls in all three games this season and it would be interesting to see what Kelce’s response to not getting the ball would be if the Chiefs had lost a couple of those games.

But that video of Kelce seemingly being sad on the sideline last week, which became an instant meme? He insists he’s doing just fine since the Chiefs keep winning.

Kelce’s numbers way down

Everyone assumed Kelce would be pulled back this season. He wasn’t quite the same last regular season but turned it on and was great in the playoffs. The Chiefs wouldn’t have won a Super Bowl without Kelce being his typically great self. Holding back Kelce for the playoffs was expected this season. That hasn’t happened as planned. He’s playing a lot more, but he’s not getting the ball.

Kelce is still playing 85% of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps, which is actually up from last season. He hit 85% just four times last regular season, and was at about 78% for the whole regular season. The targets are way down though. He’s had just 12 passes thrown his way. Since 2016, when he was at 7.3 targets per game, Kelce has been over eight targets per game every season including a couple of seasons over nine per game. That has been cut in half to four. That’s a stark drop.

Kelce’s Pro Football Focus grade is 30th among tight ends, behind players like Eric Saubert, Jeremy Ruckert and Charlie Woerner. Even if you don’t completely take PFF grades as gospel, you can clearly see a difference with Kelce this season. Four targets and 23 yards per game is not what we’re used to.

Maybe it turns around. He’s playing a lot of snaps and getting a decent amount of separation, per NFL’s Next Gen Stats, and perhaps it’s a matter of time before Patrick Mahomes starts loading him up with more catches. It’s also possible that Kelce is in a much different phase of his career, which he said he’s fine with if the Chiefs keep winning.

But the question becomes, can the Chiefs keep winning if Kelce is just a role player?