5 Travis Kelce Replacement Options For Kansas City Chiefs in 2026 NFL Draft

Denny Medley-Imagn Images The Travis Kelce era for the Kansas City Chiefs is likely near its end. For the first time in a decade, KC missed the playoffs, stumbling to a 7-9-1 finish. At 36, Kelce was still productive, as the future Hall of Famer led the team with 76 grabs, 851 yards, and five scores.

Locking in Pro Bowl honors for an 11th time. That said, Father Time is lurking, and Kelce took a minute this offseason to weigh his future, especially with his two-year, $34. 25 million deal expiring.

In classic Kelce fashion, he ran it back with the Chiefs, inking a one-year, $12 million deal to gear up for Year 14 in Arrowhead. But let’s be real, even with Kelce back in the huddle, the Chiefs are clearly scouting for the next mismatch nightmare at tight end. With that in mind, here are five tight ends KC should have circled on their draft board next month.

Joe Royer, Cincinnati William Purnell-Imagn Images Joe Royer didn’t just follow Kelce’s footsteps at Cincinnati Bearcats football—he cleared ‘em. He broke Kelce’s TE reception record with 50 grabs (Kelce had 45), which is already going to have the Kansas City Chiefs front office raising eyebrows. Across his career, Royer stacked 79 catches, nearly 1,000 yards, and four scores—numbers that scream “QB-friendly” in every sense.