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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has just eight catches for 69 yards through the first three games of the 2024 NFL season.

However, the Chiefs have won all three games even without Kelce producing at a high level.

But if Kelce is still playing this way when the weather turns colder, it might be cause for concern in Kansas City.

ESPN host Mike Greenberg said he believes Kelce’s decline in play is due to his age.

“He’s going to be 35 years old in two weeks. … Last season was a down season by his standards. He’s getting old,” Greenberg said, via ESPN Radio.

Last season, Kelce failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since the 2015 campaign (he did have 93 receptions for 984 yards).

Now, the four-time All-Pro is off to an even slower start this season.

Could it be due to the attention surrounding his relationship with Taylor Swift, his age, or defenses finally finding a way to shut him down?

Perhaps it could be all three of those, but the Chiefs are still finding a way to win without his contributions.

It isn’t like they are winless and the passing game has been awful.

But with arguably the greatest tight end in NFL history struggling to produce for a second straight regular season, worry might start to creep into the hearts of Chiefs fans.

Time will tell to see if quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his longtime favorite target can keep making magic happen through the air.

Travis Kelce Gets Honest About His Slow Start

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 22: Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs walks off the field during the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Kansas City Chiefs are 3-0 in their quest to win a third consecutive Super Bowl, but one glaring issue with the team so far is that superstar tight end Travis Kelce is off to a suspiciously slow start.

Through three games, Kelce has just eight catches for 69 yards and recently got honest about his slow start on a new episode of his podcast.

While speaking with his brother Jason on a new episode of New Heights, Travis said “As long as we’re winning football games, we’re good to go, baby.”

Jason got emotional discussing how he can’t wait for things to turn around for Travis again, but Travis didn’t seem concerned about the slow start before pivoting to shed light on his teammates who are doing great things so far, namely wide receiver Rashee Rice and running back Carson Steele.

Kelce saw a streak of seven straight 1,000-yard seasons end last year when he posted 984 yards and five touchdowns in his 15 games, and he is on pace for career lows this year with 45 receptions for 391 yards if he continues at his current pace.

With so many miles on his body and his 35th birthday just around the corner in early October, it’s entirely possible the Chiefs are just keeping the Ferrari in the garage until they need to use it.

Kansas City had arguably the league’s most disastrous wide receiver unit last year, so getting Rice and rookie Xavier Worthy going early to continue building their confidence would go a long way toward winning that third straight Super Bowl, especially since they know Kelce will be ready whenever his number is called.