Chiefs Legend Priest Holmes Calls Out Travis Kelce: Is a Mid-Season Trade Looming?

Chiefs Kingdom is currently navigating choppy waters, as a recent win against the Giants (22-9) only partially steadied a ship that started the season with two losses to the Chargers and Eagles. While the defense heroically carried the team to victory, the spotlight has now firmly shifted to a surprising area of concern: Travis Kelce’s early-season performance. Legendary former All-Pro running back and Chiefs icon, Priest Holmes, has dropped a truth bomb, suggesting that if Kelce’s struggles persist, the Kansas City Chiefs might need to explore a shocking mid-season trade for another offensive playmaker. This candid assessment has sent ripples through the NFL, forcing a critical examination of the Chiefs’ offensive rhythm and their path back to a top AFC seed.

Kelce’s Uncharacteristic Slow Start

Through three games, Travis Kelce’s statistics are noticeably below his own Hall of Fame standard. With just 10 catches for 134 yards and one touchdown, the numbers are not what fans and analysts have come to expect from the dominant tight end. Priest Holmes didn’t pull any punches, specifically calling out Kelce’s timing and a critical goal-line drop against the Eagles. While it’s a small sample size, these moments are on tape, and defensive coordinators are undoubtedly taking note and adjusting their strategies.

The Offensive Conundrum: More Than Just Kelce

The issues, however, extend beyond Kelce’s individual performance, pointing to a larger offensive flux. The Chiefs’ receiver room has been in constant turmoil this season, exacerbated by Rashee Rice’s six-game suspension. This absence removes Patrick Mahomes’s most ascending wide receiver from last year, a player capable of turning quick RPO glances into explosive 25-yard gains. The remaining receiving corps has been shuffled by injuries and role adjustments, forcing Andy Reid’s offense to lean even harder on precise timing and spacing—areas where Kelce has historically thrived, but where the rhythm has been conspicuously absent this year.

Patrick Mahomes, while not putting up his usual fireworks in the box scores, is still diligently protecting the football and managing games. The fundamental shift lies in how defenses are now playing him. Opponents are consistently sitting back in patient two-high shells, effectively bracketing Kelce on crucial downs and daring other receivers to create separation. When Kelce isn’t the automatic answer on third and seven, Mahomes’s margin for error shrinks, windows tighten, reads become delayed, and the entire offense appears choppier.

The Path to Recovery: Spacing, Structure, and Pacheco

The fix for this offensive funk requires a multi-faceted approach. Re-establishing Spacing and Landmarks: Kelce has built a career on finding voids in zone coverage. But if perimeter receivers aren’t forcing safeties to widen and hold depth, those voids disappear. The Chiefs need to get defenses to respect outside speed to open up Kelce’s option routes once again. Rice’s eventual return will be crucial, as his presence will reclaim that WR1 gravity, making life easier for both Kelce and Isaiah Pacheco.

Leaning on Isaiah Pacheco: If defenses remain committed to doubling Kelce and employing two-high shells, it creates lighter boxes for Pacheco. He must become the pace-setter, consistently grinding out four to six yards per carry, finishing runs with authority, and forcing defenses to commit more resources to the run game. The more Kansas City operates in second-and-six instead of second-and-ten, the more dangerous their offense becomes.

Andy Reid’s Tactical Tweaks:

Early Deep Shots: Integrating play-action deep overs or post routes to speedsters like Thornton or Worthy early in the script isn’t just about chasing chunk plays; it forces safeties to widen and hold depth, which in turn makes Kelce’s choice routes higher percentage.
Motion and Stack Looks: To free Kelce from reroutes and brackets, the Chiefs can utilize motion and stack looks. If defenses want to “mug” him at five yards, putting him in a stack off the ball gives him two-way go routes.
RPOs and Glance Routes: While Rice is suspended, leaning on RPOs and glance routes can steal freebies if teams spin late to single-high coverage.
Sprinkle in Tempo: Short bursts of no-huddle offense can trap defenses in unfavorable personnel groupings and disrupt their disguise game.

The X-Factors and the Middle Eight: Rookie Xavier Worthy, with his explosive burst, paired with Thornton’s speed, can create double stress on safeties. Even a couple of “scare plays” can force coverage shifts. Crucially, Kelce and Mahomes must dominate the “middle eight”—the last four minutes of the first half and the first four after halftime. Winning this stretch with a field goal before halftime and a touchdown immediately after can quickly change the narrative.

Against elite defenses like Baltimore, the Chiefs can expect tricky brackets and reroutes. The counter must involve stacked looks, mesh concepts, and ISO fades to force the Ravens to declare their coverage. Beating those brackets even once or twice will open up Kelce’s game.

AFC Implications and Trade Speculation

Holmes’s point resonates deeply within the razor-thin margins of the AFC. If the Chiefs cannot unlock another consistent pass catcher, the steady efficiency of the Bills, the physicality of the Ravens, and the track speed of the Dolphins make the one-seed race incredibly tight. The heavy report even floated the idea of a mid-season trade if Kelce cannot consistently carry the load—a testament to how small the margins are in this conference. However, Kansas City doesn’t necessarily need the fireworks of their 2018 offense; they need “January math”—a top-two seed, Arrowhead advantage in the playoffs, and four or five explosive plays in the biggest moments.

Inside the locker room, the prevailing vibe is relief rather than outright celebration following the Giants win. Players understand the championship standard. Kelce has navigated slow starts before and has earned the benefit of the doubt. Chiefs Kingdom, however, remains divided. Some wonder if Kelce, now 36, is showing signs of age and if another weapon is necessary. Others advocate for patience, trusting that Rice’s return and offensive adjustments will unlock Kelce’s familiar dominance. The national media, as expected, is quick with hot takes: Is he “cooked”? Is retirement imminent? Does Veach need to make a move? The only true answer will emerge on Sundays.

The Verdict: Make the Call, But Set the Terms

Priest Holmes’s challenge serves as a stark reminder of the realities of the NFL. While Kelce’s struggles are undeniable, the context of Rice’s suspension and the patchwork receiving corps is crucial. The path forward is clear: emphasize structure, spacing, early deep shots, motion to free Kelce, RPOs to steal yards, and Pacheco punishing light boxes. With a defense already delivering, the offense simply needs to capitalize on its opportunities.

Ultimately, the question of a mid-season trade for a wide receiver rests with Brett Veach. Does he trust Kelce and Rice to carry the passing game upon Rice’s return, or does the current urgency necessitate an immediate move? Chiefs Kingdom awaits, eager for the answers that will shape their championship destiny.