Exploring The Chiefs’ Options At Tight End This Offseason

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 02: Travis Kelce #87 and Noah Gray #83 of the Kansas City Chiefs take a moment during the NFL 2025 game between Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on November 02, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The tight end room for the Kansas City Chiefs might look different in 2026. Travis Kelce is a free agent mulling retirement, and there is nothing settled about the room around him.

The Chiefs must make offseason moves to boost the impact of tight ends next season. First, let’s discuss where the team should move forward with tight ends in the offensive scheme.

What the team needs 

Since Kelce is either at or near the end of his career, it’s the right time to evaluate what the team needs from that position group moving forward.

The first thing I want to see: more depth at tight end. The best offenses in the NFL now feature multiple tight ends making an impact in 12 or 13 personnel, creating matchup advantages. It adds layers to offense and can help dictate what the defense does.

The Chiefs’ depth at tight end over the past three seasons hasn’t been good enough. Particularly, this shows up in blocking, which has been a limitation of the offense. The unit can’t play the tight ends in line, even though some of that has been by preference: head coach Andy Reid prefers calling shotgun-based runs to enable the run-pass option game.

However, even if the Chiefs tried getting under center and running more downhill runs, there would be challenges because the tight ends cannot handle the key block on edge defenders.

Kansas City needs to find a tight end similar to Brock Wright from the Detroit Lions. Wright doesn’t catch many passes and is cheap, but he’s critical to run and pass blocking.

The Chiefs can also acquire pass-catching depth at tight end, especially as Kelce leaves or declines, but the focus should be on unlocking the run game with tight ends.

Current Roster Decisions

Kelce is a free agent, so the Chiefs would need to negotiate a contract with him if he is to return, but who knows what his price would be.

If Kelce wants to return, then the Chiefs should find a way to make this work. Even with everything that went wrong last year, Kelce still had a good season. In fact, I believe his performance in 2025 was better than either 2024 or 2023. That doesn’t mean 2026 will be as good as 2025, but he can still contribute to the offense, on top of continuing to be a valued member of the locker room.

The question will be how large his role is, which is hard to answer without knowing the other moves the team makes. Ideally, Kelce is more of a part-time player in the regular season, being used on third downs and when Kansas City wants to get into heavier personnel and go under center. Kelce is best at finding space on a free release, so using play action can help make his job easier.

Regardless of what happens with Kelce, it shouldn’t change the decision to release Noah Gray, which would save the Chiefs $3.97 million. Gray finished last season with 178 receiving yards. The Chiefs can find 178 receiving yards for cheaper than that, and Gray limits what the run game can do.

The other tight ends on the roster are Jared Wiley, Tre Watson, and Jake Briningstool. All three of these guys are fighting for roster spots and shouldn’t be counted on to play snaps next year. 

Free Agent Options

If Kelce doesn’t return, the Chiefs could splurge at tight end. Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts is definitely the best receiving option, but he’s not a helpful blocker, and he will be expensive. Kansas City may not be able to be the top bid.

Isaiah Likely from the Baltimore Ravens is also an option for a receiving tight end, and an exciting one at that. Likely doesn’t bring blocking talent to the Chiefs, but he’s a smooth route runner who can make absurd catches.

A couple of veteran options are Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku or Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert. Goedert doesn’t excite me as much with his injury history, but he is a true Y-tight end that can block. Njoku has more playmaking ability, but he could be expensive at 29 years old still.

To find cheap blocking depth, Kansas City could look at Chicago Bears tight end Durham Smythe, Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar, or Indianapolis Colts tight end Mo Alie-Cox.

Draft Options

Without in-depth knowledge of this year’s draft class, the top is interesting. Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq is a vertical tight end who can stretch defenses, but he’s also fluid and can create separation on routes. He’s going to be best at stretching the seam, but he can do more; Oregon used him as an X-receiver as well.

However, there are some warts in Sadiq’s package. He is strong and competes as a blocker, but he is short and lacks notable length. He would have potential limitations translating to an in-line tight end. It doesn’t mean he is not a worthwhile draft prospect, but it does change whether he is a smart choice for the ninth-overall pick.

If the Chiefs want to draft a tight end on Day 2, here could be some options:

• Max Klare, Ohio State
• Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
• Jack Endries, Texas
• Michael Trigg, Baylor
• Eli Raridon, Notre Dame