After years of stability at one of the league’s most demanding positions, the possibility of Travis Kelce stepping away from football is no longer abstract.
A physically taxing year and mounting retirement speculation have forced the franchise, and its fan base, to at least acknowledge what life after Kelce could look like.
In what became one of the most surprising results of the week, the Atlanta Falcons stunned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a 29-28 road victory.
At the center of it all was Kyle Pitts, who delivered the kind of performance that once made him one of the most coveted young tight ends in football. Pitts caught 11 passes for 166 yards and all three of Kirk Cousins‘ touchdown throws, overwhelming Tampa Bay’s defense from start to finish.
The stat line placed Pitts in rare historical territory. He became the first tight end since Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe in 1996 to post at least 150 receiving yards and three touchdowns in a single game. For a player whose career has often been framed around unmet expectations, the night felt like a reminder of what his ceiling still looks like.
Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris made it clear afterward that Pitts‘ usage was not accidental. The Falcons entered the game determined to funnel the offense through him, exploiting matchups and forcing Tampa Bay to adjust on the fly. The results spoke for themselves.
A provocative comparison that caught fire
As the highlights circulated, one particular reaction gained traction. USA Today reporter Art Stapleton took to social media with a bold projection that quickly found its way into Chiefs-related discourse.
“Chiefs are going to sign Kyle Pitts to replace Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes is going to turn him into Tony Gonzalez,” Stapleton noted.
The comparison was intentionally provocative, but it struck a nerve. Gonzalez, after all, is the gold standard for tight ends in Kansas City, and Kelce built his own Hall of Fame résumé by redefining the position alongside Patrick Mahomes.
The idea of Mahomes unlocking Pitts‘ long-discussed potential is the kind of hypothetical that naturally captivates fans.
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