Travis Kelce is going to have to learn a tough lesson at this stage of his career: to do more with less.
On Sunday, in a win over the Baltimore Ravens, the Kansas City Chiefs had Kelce play on 66 percent of offensive snaps. Following the game, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was asked about the load management with Kelce and whether that amount was where the team envisioned the future Hall of Famer being. Reid responded, “That’s probably a good area.”
That amount of snaps is the lowest for Kelce yet in 2025, and while the sample size is small, it’s yet another game following a downward trend that began at 84 percent of snaps in Week 1.
Andy Reid gave some insight into the Chiefs’ load management for Travis Kelce in 2025.
By decreasing Kelce’s snaps, the Chiefs are making an important short-term decision for their long-term goals. Peak Kelce is important for the team’s postseason hopes, and an NFL season is longer than ever these days with the physical nature of the game and the rigors of a 17-game regular season. Given that Kelce is turning 36 years old soon, it makes sense to monitor the demands placed on him.
Of course, that’s not easy for a proud player like Kelce to take. He’s been the heartbeat of the Chiefs’ offense for longer than nearly any other player has been on the roster, as a former third-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Reid admitted that Kelce wants to be out there as much as possible, but keeping him fresh is what is going to make him so effective, even after 13 years in the league.
“I thought he played well in both the run and the pass game,” said Reid about Kelce’s performance in an efficient five-catch effort versus Baltimore. “I thought he looked strong all the way through. He’s in great shape right now. That’s the important part. He came back and trained hard and aggressive for this thing.
“He’s such a big part of it,” Reid continued. “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 job to make sure that we don’t get too many reps in there. We give him at least a blow here and there. He’d play every play if he had his choice.”
In contrast to Kelce’s downward trend in playing time, Noah Gray got onto the field for 56 percent of reps for the Chiefs on Sunday. Waiting in the wings is the team’s third tight end, Robert Tonyan, who was a preseason coaches’ favorite.
Kelce might not be on track for his most productive season. His years of going for over 1,000 yards receiving are likely over. But he remains a favorite weapon of Patrick Mahomes who comes through in the game’s biggest moments. There’s little doubt that the Chiefs are keeping him ready for another postseason run for just that reason—even if it’s hard to rein him in at times.
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