Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs walks off the field after the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on November 16, 2025
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is preparing for a high-stakes meeting with the Indianapolis Colts, andhe’s acknowledging the attention-grabbing emergence of rookie tight end Tyler Warren. With Kansas City entering Week 12 at 5–5 and outside the AFC playoff picture, the Chiefs face a must-win moment — and Kelce made clear that stopping Warren is a priority as the two teams collide on Sunday.
Speaking with reporters on Friday, Kelce recognized the similarities between himself and Warren, noting therookie’s production, size, and play style while emphasizing the need to contain him in a criticalmatchup.
Travis Kelce Makes Feelings Clear About Tyler Warren Comparison
Kelce offered direct praise for Warren, who has rapidly become one of theColts’ most reliable offensive pieces.
“He’s an absolute force,”Kelce said Friday. “And you can see whyhe’s got a lot of success early, how he ran with the ball when he was in college.His feel for zones, his ability to go up and make a catch over the top of everybody. Just a big, big target out there, man, andI’m excited for his future. But hopefully we can hold him to a few yards this week.”
Warren has posted standout numbers, including 99 yards on eight catches in a 31–25 overtime win in Berlin on November 9. He ranks second among all rookies with 50 receptions and third with 617 receiving yards.
Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton said Wednesday that Warren poses schematic challenges.
“He does a lot of different things,”Bolton said. “From the backfield, on the line, off the ball, coming in at the fullback.Sometimesthere’s some run plays,he’ll come in at fullbackand they passthe ball to him. Over routes, deep routes, seven routes. I mean,there’s a biteverything for him.Sothat’s gonna be a challenge for us,kind of disrupting the line of scrimmage andmake things hard for him.”
Chiefs Defense Faces Warren Threat in ColtsMatch-Up
Farzin Vousoughian
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce and Colts rookie TE Tyler Warren have very similar numbers going into Sunday’s game.
Warren’s early numbers place him among rare company. League records show he is one of only three rookie tight ends in NFL history to record at least 50 receiving yards in seven of his first 10 games — alongside Brock Bowers and Keith Jackson.
Defensive backs coach Dave Merritt emphasized the physical elements that make Warren dangerous.
“Strong hands at the point of attack, first of all,”Merritt said Thursday. “He can block. I mean, I thinkhe’s one of the better blocking tight ends in the league. But this kid is savvy. I mean, he has strong hands at the top of the route. He has a big catch radius. And all of a suddenyou throw that ball up,it’s like throwing up an alley-oop to a basketball player. But I think the kid has a bright future.He’s done a nice job.”
Kansas City allowed 141 yards to tight ends in its 28–21 loss to Buffalo earlier this month, including 101 yards and a touchdown to Dalton Kincaid — the first 100-yard performance against the Chiefs since December of last season.
Travis Kelce AddressesChiefs’ Urgency on ‘NewHeights’ Podcast
On the latest episode of “New Heights,”Kelce acknowledged the pressure facing Kansas City.
“Man,it’s frustrating becauseit’s gotten to the point wherewe’re 5–5,”Kelce said. “We’re .500 going into the back-end of the schedule here.Got seven games leftand we basicallygot to run the table. And Ihaven’t been in this situation in a long, long time.”
Kelce noted that having Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, and atop-10offense anddefense makes their recordmore difficult to accept.
“Andit’s even more frustrating knowing the kind of guys that we have, knowing the kind of talent that we have,”Kelce continued. “Knowing the type of coaches that we have. Andeverybody’s kind of just got to look themselves in the mirror, man.Youcan’t sit around pointing fingers …Whatever you go into mentally whenyou’re frustrated, yougot to kick that (expletive) aside and yougot to think about howyou’re going to (expletive) attack the day.”
Kickoff against the Colts is Sunday at 12 p.m. CT on CBS/KCTV, Channel 5and 96.5 The Fan.