Why Travis Kelce’s 2024 NFL Season Is Off To A Slow Start?
Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce (Image Credit: Getty Images)
Let’s be real—nobody expected this kind of start from Travis Kelce. Through three games in the 2024 season, the Kansas City Chiefs star tight end has caught only eight passes for merely 69 yards and, shockingly, hasn’t scored a single touchdown. For fantasy football owners, this is the stuff of nightmares. For die-hard Chiefs fans, it’s just…weird. Kelce, one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, is struggling to make his usual impact on the field. So, what’s going on?
Kelce, now 34, signed a lucrative two-year, $34.5 million contract extension with the Chiefs in April. But right now, it seems like something’s off. To really get why his slow start has become such a hot topic, we need to understand why the expectations are sky-high for the nine-time Pro Bowler—and why his coaches, teammates, and even fans are chiming in. Let’s dive into the details and figure out if this is just a bump in the road or a sign of something bigger.
Why Travis Kelce’s Slow Start is a Big Deal?
TE Travis Kelce (Image Credit: Getty Images)This isn’t just any player we’re talking about. This is Travis Kelce, the guy who’s been dominating defenses for a decade. The three-time Super Bowl champion and four-time First-Team All-Pro has redefined what a tight end can do in the NFL. Just two years ago, during his first three games of the 2022 season, Kelce had already racked up 184 yards on 17 receptions. By the end of that season, he’d hit career highs in receptions (110), receiving yards (1,338), and touchdowns (12).
Now, fast forward to 2024, and Kelce’s numbers look…completely different. In his first three games this season, he’s on pace to finish with just 45 catches and a paltry 391 yards. For comparison, he recorded his lowest season total of 862 yards in 2014—more than double his current projection. Kelce hasn’t found the end zone in his last nine regular-season games, dating back to the 2023 season. This has left fans and analysts wondering—what’s happening with one of the game’s best?
Is This a Sign of Decline?
While Kelce’s slow start might be shocking, it isn’t entirely out of the blue. At the end of the 2023 regular season, Kelce went six games without a touchdown. However, he silenced any doubters by turning it up in the playoffs, where he recorded 355 receiving yards and three touchdowns in four postseason games.
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But this year, the lack of production feels different, especially with his Week 2 performance against the Bengals—where he had just one reception for five yards. That marked the first time since September 2018 that Kelce failed to catch at least three passes in a game.
Is Patrick Mahomes Targeting Travis Kelce Less?
Chiefs Kelce and Mahomes together (Image Credit: Getty Images)
It’s not like Mahomes isn’t looking for Kelce. The problem? Defenses are throwing everything at him. Through the first three games of 2024, Mahomes has targeted Kelce just 12 times, with a 66% success rate. His 7.5 targets per game last season dropped significantly, with an even steeper decline from the 8.9 targets per game in 2022.
According to Mahomes, it’s not for lack of trying. “The respect factor they have for Travis is just unreal,” Mahomes said after the Chiefs’ 22-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons on September 22. “We’re calling a lot of plays for Travis, but it’s like two or three guys are always on him.”
Travis Kelce’s Perspective on His Slow Start
Kelce’s perspective on his game (Image Credit: Getty Images)
Despite the rough start, Kelce is taking everything in stride—at least publicly. On the “New Heights” podcast, which he co-hosts with his brother Jason Kelce, he addressed the issue head-on during the September 18 episode. “I stopped caring about stats four or five years ago,” he said. “I just go out there, play free, and play for my guys. Sure enough, I think that’s the better mentality.”
Kelce acknowledged that the last two games haven’t gone his way, but he’s keeping a positive mindset.
“That’s football, man. I’m not going to sit here and get frustrated about it. I used to get really pissed off, almost lose my cool when things didn’t go my way, but I’ve learned to just play the game.”
Still, Kelce’s frustration was hard to miss during the Chiefs’ Week 3 game against the Falcons, where NBC’s cameras caught him looking visibly upset on the sidelines. Even veteran analyst Cris Collinsworth noted, “I’m flabbergasted. We’re three games in, and we just haven’t seen that Mahomes and Kelce magic.”
What does the Coaching Staff Think?
Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy isn’t worried about Kelce’s slow start, and he wants fans to trust the process. “He knows who he is, and we know who he is. That’s important to have in a player,” Nagy said in a press conference on September 19. He added, “It’s just a matter of time before things click.”
Who Do the Chiefs Face Next?
Kelce and the Chiefs are gearing up to face the Los Angeles Chargers on September 29 at SoFi Stadium. After that, they’ll be back at Arrowhead for a Monday night showdown against the New Orleans Saints on October 7. The big question remains as the season continues—can Kelce bounce back and prove he’s still one of the best tight ends in the league? Only time will tell.
