Chiefs could find Travis Kelce replacement in NFC North

Chiefs could find Travis Kelce replacement in NFC North originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is going around again in 2026, as the veteran will have another year in the NFL.

But how many years does Kelce have? Likely not many, which leads some to think the Chiefs should be on the lookout for his replacement now, instead of scrambling to find one when he retires. Some thought the draft with Kenyon Sadiq was an option, but what about a veteran?

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox has named Chicago Bears Cole Kmet as a potential post June 1 option for the Chiefs. MORE: Chiefs oddly named as suitor for Super Bowl-winning WR Kmet a Chiefs option? Honestly, it isn't a name I would have linked the Chiefs to, but that doesn't mean it's out of the realm of possibility, either.

Kmet has been pushed down the pecking order thanks to the arrival of Colston Loveland in Chicago, and is coming off a 2025 where he posted just 347 yards and 2 TDs from 30 receptions. If he were a post-June 1 trade, he would have the Bears $5 million in cap space, but I don't see the Chiefs parting ways with draft capital for a tight end that hasn't been really productive in the last two seasons. His best year came in 2023 (719 yards, 6 TDs), so there could still be some juice that Andy Reid could get out of Kmet.