As the NFL Combine revs its engines and the NFL Draft slowly approaches, people in the football media world are clutching at anything to keep ratings and viewership up while they wait for real substance to fill the headlines. Nothing exemplifies that more than the recent "rumor" about Kansas City's superstar tight end (and future first-ballot Hall of Famer) Travis Kelce, who is still contemplating retirement after 13 seasons in the NFL.
This "rumor" was "reported" by Craig Carton on his self-named podcast, where he stated, "Travis Kelce wants to come back and wants to play for the New York Giants so that he and his wife (Taylor Swift) can live in New York City ... Do not sleep on the New York Giants signing Kelce this offseason."
Carton, who was convicted of securities and wire fraud totaling upwards of $5.6 million back in 2018, was obviously trying to get clicks and views—desperate to keep his name and voice in the media world after 42 months in jail—but the story still stuck until the NFL Combine began earlier this week.
As that rumor was quickly squashed by reports of Kelce already being in contract talks with Kansas City for a 14th season, it stirred up fans who thought the superstar tight end could ever wear a different jersey in another stadium after all these years.
So who else is such a force and such a rock for Kansas City that they could never be let go, even if the money and the timing aren't what GM Brett Veach and the Hunt family would prefer?
James Winchester, LS
James Winchester entered the NFL back in 2015 and instantly became the starting long snapper for the Chiefs, hoping that his role in such a vital yet undervalued position wouldn't be short-lived. And now, here he is 11 seasons later, still starting every single game and making an impact at the position.
Even though Winchester is technically an unrestricted free agent, he has been working with Kansas City on one-year deals dating all the way back to 2023. With these one-year deals, he has proven to be one of the few players Andy Reid and Dave Toub truly rely on and respect more than anyone.
"He's got all the tools, he's got a little bit more velocity on the ball ... it makes a difference," Toub said about Winchester years ago.
And it still rings true even today as Winchester awaits a phone call from Veach or possibly another team. But that other team would most likely be disappointed, as Chiefs fans and coaches have become accustomed to Winchester on the field for special teams snaps for over a decade.
Winchester, while skilled at his craft, is too old and possibly too expensive for other teams to take a flyer on, even if it's just for a year. Which is the main reason why the pivotal role player will never rock another jersey other than the red and yellow.
Travis Kelce, TE
As stated above, Kelce is already looking at contracts with Kansas City for a 14th and likely final season at Arrowhead. And even if he weren't, the only option on the table for a player like him is retirement and then television, where he has already made a splash in multiple ways.
Kelce's No. 87 will almost immediately go into the Chiefs Ring of Honor and could even be retired alongside Kansas City greats like Derrick Thomas and Len Dawson before the voters in Canton give the tight end his bust in the Hall of Fame.
It is because of these reasons, as well as the obvious "DUH" sentiment, that Kelce would never don another jersey other than Kansas City's. It's one of the many reasons that Chiefs Kingdom will forever hold him in higher regard than other greats like Tony Gonzalez or even Jamaal Charles, who both left late in their careers for other teams.
Andy Reid, HC
I know, I know, Reid is not a Chiefs player, and his "jersey" is likely an XXL jacket or a Tommy Bahama button-down. But the fact still remains that Reid is never going to be sporting another team's colors while still in the NFL.
This might come as a shock to some "fans" on social media who have called for Reid to step down, give the play-calling rights to Eric Bieniemy (or even Matt Nagy), and even some who have tweeted that Clark Hunt and Veach should cut Reid loose. That's simply never going to happen, and it shouldn't.
Reid's tenure in Kansas City has not only been the best in Chiefs history (as well as in Reid's illustrious career), but it's also been one of the best runs by any head coach in NFL history. So it's obvious that one bad season plagued with freak injuries, boneheaded suspensions, and poor luck at the end of games is not the end of Reid's time in Kansas City.
Even if it were Reid's final year this upcoming season, he is about to be 68 years old, and teams around the league have shown that going younger is the new path to success (just look at Seattle this past season). Not only that, rumors of Reid's retirement have loomed for years—especially from unreliable sources like Mike Florio—and he's shut them down both vocally and by winning multiple Super Bowls.
So no, Reid will not be leaving the red jackets behind for some new hue of blue or shade of green. And he's definitely not going to choose another quarterback in the NFL over Patrick Mahomes while Mahomes is still in the prime of his career.
What about Patrick Mahomes?
For those wondering why Mahomes is not on this list, it is simply this: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Joe Montana—all three of the greatest quarterbacks of all time—were sporting new uniforms when they retired, and all three had their reasons.
Whether or not Mahomes is willing to stay in Kansas City his whole career—a city where he has laid down roots with his family by buying ownership stakes in other KC teams, as well as opening businesses like 1587 Steakhouse—is up to him. But assuming that 10 years down the road he will still want to play at the new Arrowhead while other teams might be better suited is not something you can do with certainty.