There’s a phrase in the world of fashion: “What is old can become new again.”
It turns out that expression isn’t just true about an old pair of Levi’s jeans or a vintage Wrangler jacket that you might find at a thrift store; it’s also true about Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
After what was statistically the worst season of his career, the 36-year-old is having a bounce-back year in 2025, and his production has been flying under the radar.
By the end of last season, it seemed clear that Kelce was in decline. The eye test indicated that things might be slowing down, and the statistical evidence backed that up.
Kelce’s numbers were down across the board. He had career lows in yards (823), touchdowns (3), yards per reception (8.5), yards per game (51.4), and yards per target (6.2). The clutch catches were still there, but his efficiency and productivity plummeted.
Travis Kelce’s reduced role is fueling a vintage, ultra-efficient resurgence for the Chiefs.
But this year we’re seeing an important reversal. While some key stats are again down, other more important metrics are actually on the way up—and that is great news for the Chiefs.
Mahomes to Kelce for the TD!
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Kelce’s targets, receptions, and snap count have actually decreased. He has 28 catches on 37 targets for 321 yards so far this season, and at this pace, he’s on track to have similar numbers to the career lows he put up last year.
Crucially, however, Kelce’s productivity and efficiency have skyrocketed.
Kelce’s success rate is currently at 70.0 percent, the highest it has ever been in his 13-year career. His yards per reception (11.5) and yards per target (8.7) are both at their highest levels since 2022. He’s finding the end zone at a better rate, too. The former Cincinnati Bearcat had just three touchdowns last season but already has two in the first six weeks of 2025.
It looks like the shiftiness and elusiveness that have made him so dangerous could also be back. Kelce forced five missed tackles last year, but had four against the Detroit Lions on Sunday night alone.
This is, of course, fantastic news for Kansas City.
So, how have the Chiefs turned Kelce’s trajectory around? How have they turned a vintage Chiefs sweatshirt from something destined for the closet forever into a must-wear fashion item? A new role has done the trick.
In 2025, Kelce finally has a full supporting cast around him. Xavier Worthy is almost a fully fledged WR1, Hollywood Brown is healthy and productive, Tyquan Thornton has burst onto the scene, and Rashee Rice is set to return from suspension and injury.
Having arguably the NFL’s top wide receiver corps around him has diverted defenses’ attention away from Kelce, and it’s allowed him to feast.
Kelce is leading the team in yards this year with 321, and he’s got the most first downs of any Chief with 19. That’s despite the fact that his snap count has dropped to 75 percent—its lowest rate since 2014—and his target share has decreased from 24 percent last year to 18 percent in 2025. He’s seeing less playing time and getting less of the ball, but that’s actually proving to be a good thing.
Last year, Kelce was forced to play a bigger role in the offense than the Chiefs had hoped. With Brown and Rice both missing significant time due to injury, it was up to Kelce to be the main target on offense for a Super Bowl-caliber team. That’s a lot to ask of an aging 35-year-old tight end, and it showed.
This year, the Chiefs have Kelce playing a much different role. Kelce is no longer the focal point on offense—and that’s okay. With a revamped offensive line and speedy wide receiver options getting open downfield, the deep passing game has returned, and it’s changed the way defenses are playing Kansas City.
Instead of Kelce getting double-teamed like last year, now it’s Worthy, Thornton, and Brown who are demanding most of the opposition’s attention. Safeties are dropping back more to cover the deep threat, giving Kelce more space and more favorable coverage matchups at the mid-level.
It means that Kelce is more open more of the time. He might be 36, but Kelce is still the most prolific tight end to ever play the game, and the stats show he’s been able to take full advantage of those situations.
Just because Kelce might be seeing less of the ball overall doesn’t mean he’s less important. His season-high 78 yards against Detroit and seven catches the week before against the Jacksonville Jaguars show he is clearly still a big part of the offense. He’s just no longer the biggest part of the offense—and again, that’s okay.
Less is more for Travis Kelce. What's old is new again.