Travis Kelce is gearing up for his 14th season with the Kansas City Chiefs, but some voices outside the organization already have doubts about whether the veteran tight end still has what it takes at age 36.
Podcaster Scott Ferrall offered a tough take on social media just before the start of the 2026 campaign. He made it clear he no longer sees Kelce as the force he once was.
“Travis Kelce, I don’t believe that anymore. I think he’s starting to look washed to me,” Ferrall said. “I don’t think the Chiefs should’ve signed him again. I could care less who he’s married to, Taylor Swift or otherwise!”
The comments came as Kelce prepares to line up again with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is still working his way back from injury. Kelce’s numbers have slipped from the peak years that made him one of the league’s most reliable targets, yet his work last season and the praise from people inside the Chiefs organization tell a different story.
Ferrall’s post drew quick replies from fans. Some refused to write the tight end off before a single regular-season snap.
The numbers from 2025 show Kelce was still contributing. He appeared in every one of the team’s 17 regular-season games, piled up more than 850 receiving yards, scored five touchdowns and averaged 11.2 yards per catch.
Advanced metrics ranked him among the stronger tight ends in the league. He posted an 80.6 score in one prominent tight-end impact ranking, good for fifth at the position, and was one of just six players at the spot to clear the 80 mark.
Inside the building, the focus has been on effort rather than age. Kansas City finished training camp on Aug. 20, and head coach Andy Reid pointed to Kelce as a model for a younger roster.
“You have examples like Kelce — he’s the oldest guy on the team and came out every day and worked to where you had to yank him out of there to give him a breather,” Reid said.
Linebacker Nick Bolton noticed the same intensity.
“There’s no excuses when you have the old guy out there running routes and stuff like that,” Bolton said. “It’s been fun to watch him work.”
Reid also singled out the approach taken by both Kelce and Mahomes during the summer sessions.
“They worked hard, and I appreciated that,” Reid said. “I thought we made progress.”
Kelce’s return means the Chiefs get at least one more season with the Mahomes-to-Kelce connection that has powered so many successful drives over the years. The decision to stick around also followed his marriage to Taylor Swift on July 3 at Madison Square Garden. Swift has been a regular presence at games, but Kelce has kept his attention on football throughout August.
The Chiefs are looking to bounce back after a 2025 campaign that ended without a playoff appearance. The way Kelce has approached practice suggests he is not treating this year like a victory lap. How he answers the skepticism from voices like Ferrall will play out once the games start for real.
Kansas City opens the regular season at home against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 14 at Arrowhead Stadium.
