In the Kansas City Chiefs‘ win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4, their passing attack looked as good as it has in weeks. Months, really, considering how the club got through the 2024-25 NFL playoffs en route to Super Bowl LIX.
With that effectiveness, however, came a diminished workload for all-world tight end Travis Kelce. Is that a positive or negative development for the team? Head coach Andy Reid addressed those concerns on Monday.
Andy Reid Not Worried About Decreased Reps for Travis Kelce
Kelce logged 48 snaps in the Sunday victory, good for his second-lowest figure of the season. Four games in, Reid believes that’s a solid range.
“That’s probably a good area,” Reid said. “I thought he really played well. In both the run and pass game, I thought he looked strong all the way through. He’s in great shape right now, Soren [Petro]. That’s the important part â he came back and he really trained hard and aggressive for this thing.
“He’s such a big part of it. Not only his effort, but just the mentality that he comes into these games with. He’s all-in all the time. He gets mad at me, but it’s my responsibility to make sure that we don’t get too many reps in there [and] that we get him at least a blow here and there. He’d play every play if he had his choice.”
The hangup with the snap count is how little it actually was in the grand scheme of things. The 35-year-old was on the field for 65.8% of offensive snaps, which marked the third game in a row he saw a decline in that category. Kelce’s overall share for the season is 74%, marking his lowest piece of the pie since 2014 when he was still establishing himself as a top-flight player.
Kelce clearly doesn’t like being taken off the field, as he’s had his fair share of spirited conversations with Reid on the sideline. But at the end of the day, this is likely best as his 36th birthday in October stares him down. Keeping Kelce fresh in what could be his final NFL season will ensure he’s optimized for the playoffs.
At least that’s the goal, if you’re Reid and the Chiefs’ staff.
Chiefs Maintaining Diverse Passing Game Is Key for Kelce’s Effectiveness
Giving Kelce the not-so-occasional breather does seem to be doing him some good. Last season was his worst, seeing him haul in 97 passes for just 823 yards and 3 touchdowns. His 8.5 yards per reception and 6.2 yards per target were both the worst of his illustrious career.
Although Kelce is averaging fewer yards per game (45.5 is a career-low), he’s doing more damage on a per-snap basis. The future Hall of Fame pass catcher is back up to 12.1 yards per reception and 8.3 yards per target â his best stats since 2022. His yards per catch after reception (7.5) is the highest of his entire NFL tenure.
Having other viable options at quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ disposal is the key here. The Chiefs surely possessed that in Week 4. The return of wide receiver Xavier Worthy appeared to unlock the passing offense. Mahomes targeted nine different players, completing at least one pass to all of them. Worthy and Kelce each had five receptions on the afternoon. JuJu Smith-Schuster (4 catches for 36 yards) and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (3 catches for 38 yards) each added touchdowns.
Gone are the days of Mahomes being able to rely solely on Kelce and Tyreek Hill to get the job done. The 2025-26 Kansas City offense, ideally, will resemble 2022-23’s group that was more of an equal opportunity group. Once Rashee Rice returns from suspension in Week 7, things project to elevate to another level.
That’s all with Kelce being hit with the dreaded load management. As September rolls into October, though, it’s panning out.
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