Travis Kelce (Image via Getty images)
PFN’s TE Impact Metric gave Kelce an 80.6 impact score last season, placing him fifth among tight ends. Six players at the position reached at least an 80.0 rating. There is also a broader statistical case for keeping him in the conversation among the league’s better tight ends.
As the Kansas City Chiefs prepare for their 2026 campaign, NFL podcaster Scott Ferrall has delivered a sharp assessment of the veteran tight end. At 36, he is entering a stage of his career when maintaining elite production becomes much harder. Because it separates Kelce’s football value from the enormous celebrity attention around him, the remark quickly stands out.
“I don’t think the Chiefs should’ve signed him again.
I think he’s starting to look washed to me,” Ferrall said. Travis Kelce is heading into another NFL season with plenty of attention on his next chapter, but not all of it is positive. His message is clear: he believes Kelce is no longer the player he once was, regardless of the spotlight surrounding him. “Travis Kelce, I don’t believe that anymore. I could care less who he’s married to, Taylor Swift or otherwise! Since his relationship with Taylor Swift became a major part of the NFL conversation, almost every development involving the tight end has attracted interest well beyond the sport. That criticism comes as Kelce prepares for his 14th NFL season and his age becomes an increasingly important part of the discussion.