It’s been a difficult season for Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs, from the team falling out of playoff contention on December 14 after a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers to Mahomes getting injured and ending his season early. But, that’s all behind the team, and they’re perhaps just a few moves away from getting their strength back.
One upside to not doing well in the regular season, of course, is getting a prime draft pick the following year. That’s something the Chiefs haven’t had even once in the Mahomes era, so one silver lining, if you can call it that, is that for the first time in years, Kansas City is getting an early draft pick.
In a piece out on Sunday, December 28, in Arrowhead Addict, Leigh Oleszczak gives Chiefs Kingdom hope and discusses the positives to having an early draft pick in 2026.
Kansas City Chiefs Getting a High Draft Pick is Golden
In the piece, Oleszczak makes the point that if the season ended in Week 17 and the 2026 NFL Draft order was set for April, the Kansas City Chiefs would have a high pick. According to research from Tankathon, the Chiefs are at the No. 9 pick.
“This would be the rest of the NFL’s worst nightmare, as the Chiefs have been a Super Bowl contender since Patrick Mahomes took over as the starting quarterback,” he notes.
He adds that this is a prime opportunity to give Mahomes the support he needs on the offensive line. “The Chiefs’ biggest draft needs would be at offensive line, running back, tight end, and wide receiver on the offensive side of the ball and pass-rushing help on the defensive side of the ball,” he adds. “They’ll have a chance to bolster those areas in a big way if they remain in the top 10 of the 2026 draft.”
So, just how rare is it that the Chiefs get a high pick? According to Oleszczak, the last time Kansas City had a high draft pick was in 2012, “when they had the NFL’s worst record and got the number one pick in the 2013 draft.”
Travis Kelce Retirement Talk
The big question is whether Kelce will retire after this season. Nobody knows the answer to that yet, perhaps not even the tight end, but we do know that if he does, it’s a shame. Kelce has enjoyed one of the most historic careers in the NFL, and nothing will sour that. But, what a strange way to leave, right?
“It’s highly unfortunate that Kelce’s final games are unfolding like this, with Chiefs losses and a third-string quarterback running the offense,” Oleszczak notes in a separate piece from Arrowhead Addict. “We don’t even get to see Kelce go out with Patrick Mahomes throwing to him, meaning the productivity is limited, and we’ve probably seen the last of him and Mahomes on the field together. That’s an absolutely crushing thought.”
So, time will tell if Kelce stays or goes. Either way, Chiefs Kingdom owes him plenty of gratitude.
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