Travis Kelce Due For Breakout Season?

There has been a lot of discussion so far this offseason about finding a way to improve Kansas City’s passing game, mostly via finding better depth at wide receiver. But what if the key is someone already on the roster.

Travis Kelce a third round pick in the 2013 NFL draft and was expected to be an immediate contributor on offense with free agent acquisition Anthony Fasano. Unfortunately neither one contributed much due to injuries. In fact, Kelce missed all of the 2013 season with a microfracture in his knee. The lack of production that came from the tight end position due to his and other injuries may have had a lot more to due with the struggling passing offense than the weak wide receiver group.

Fortunately for the Chiefs, Kelce is back healthy and ready to contribute in 2014. And if Field Yates is correct, he should be in for a big season. Yates wrote for ESPN his 10 second-year candidates to have a breakout season. Kelce is one of the 10.

"This is a little bit of an exception because Kelce missed all of last season because of microfracture knee surgery that took place in October, so there’s nowhere to go but up. That being said, Kelce’s upside is as a starter in the Chiefs offense. He’s 6-foot-6, 260 pounds and an exceptional athlete. Andy Reid has long understood the value of a reliable tight end, so Kelce has a chance to be a stud for Kansas City soon after he hits the field."

It is good to know there is someone outside of the “Chiefs Bubble” that sees Kelce as being a significant contributor to the team. Yates went as far to say Kelce has a chance to be a stud in Andy Reid’s offense. If that is the case, given what the Chiefs have added in Weston Dressler and De’Anthony Thomas plus second-year guys in A.J. Jenkins, Eric Fisher, and Knile Davis, then one may think the Chiefs offense has a shot to maintain the momentum they built up in the second half of the season.

Let’s hope Yates is correct on his prediction.