ESPN’s Ryan Clark may work with Travis Kelce’s brother, Jason, but he’s not pulling any punches with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end.
Clark, a former Pittsburgh Steelers safety, described the younger Kelce as a ‘diminished player’ while addressing Travis’ decision to retire or not from the NFL.
‘Isn’t Trav sort of in the same place our colleague and friend, his brother, Jason Kelce, was in last year?’ Clark asked his ESPN co-host Laura Rutledge.
Jason famously retired after 13 seasons in March of 2024, allowing him to transition to ESPN, where he’s worked as an NFL analyst.
‘Still feeling like you can still do it and you still have it, but you know you don’t have it like you used to,’ Clark continued. ‘And it’s gonna be based on whether or not Travis Kelce understands he’s a diminished player and is comfortable with that.
‘When you’re at the highest of highs, when you’re the best pass-catching tight end in the history of the National Football League, it’s hard to go into a game last night, have two drops, not have any impactful catches or impact on the game.
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‘Can Travis Kelce go forward in 2025 and be that person? Especially when so many lucrative opportunities await him in his second career.’
As for whether he’s ‘diminished’ or not, Kelce’s production was mostly on part with previous seasons.
Even at 35, Kelce remained productive, recording 97 receptions and 823 yards on 133 targets during the regular season. However, he had only three touchdowns over 16 games and just one in the postseason.
The good news for Chiefs fans is that Patrick Mahomes has shown some more confidence in second stringer Noah Gray this season, completing 40 passes to the tight end for 437 yards and five touchdowns.
Regardless of the team’s succession plan at tight end, it’s still too early to say whether Kelce will be retiring or not.
The likely Hall of Famer is under contract through next season, but Kelce has a number of off-the-field projects, including a cameo in the upcoming Happy Gilmore sequel.
Such endeavors have naturally led to fears among Chiefs fans that Kelce could bolt Kansas City for a Hollywood lifestyle with his long-term girlfriend Taylor Swift.
