By Matthew SchmidtShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberKansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is not yet sure if he will play football beyond 2025, and at this point of his career, he is basically taking things year to year.
But with Kelce now 36 years old, the Chiefs should be thinking about life beyond the 10-time Pro Bowler regardless, and Dane Brugler of The Athletic has made it clear that he feels Kelce's NFL days may be running out.
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In a recent mock draft, Brugler projected Kansas City to select Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq with the 13th overall pick, which could put an end to Kelce's primacy in KC ... or to his career in general.
"Everyone knows what the Chiefs’ offense looks like with a mismatch tight end. Sadiq has wide receiver talent in a tight end body. He can win down the seam or be a threat after the catch. He’s no slouch as a blocker, either, which would free up Andy Reid to use him across the formation," Brugler wrote.
Sadiq is an athletic freak who has caught 40 passes for 490 yards and eight touchdowns this season, and while his numbers haven't been terrific, his talent is very evident.
...The 6-foot-3, 245-pound pass-catcher arrived at Oregon in 2023 and began receiving extensive playing time last year, when he logged 24 catches for 308 yards and a couple of scores.
Sadiq's stock has definitely risen in recent weeks, and with Kelce potentially on the way out, it would definitely make sense for the Chiefs to select a tight end.
Kelce still clearly has plenty left in the tank, though. He has hauled in 56 receptions for 719 yards and five scores in 2025, averaging 12.2 yards per catch. Last year, he posted only 9.9 yards per grab, so Kelce has actually been more efficient this season in spite of being a year older.
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The four-time First-Team All-Pro racked up seven straight 1,000-yard campaigns between 2016 and 2022, topping out at 1,416 yards in 2020. He then finished with 984 yards in 15 games in 2023 and 823 yards in 16 contests last season.
Kansas City is 6-6 on the year and is danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since Kelce's sophomore year in 2015.
For more on the Kansas City Chiefs and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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