Who Should I Start? Travis Kelce or Kyle Pitts Sr.

Tuesday, February 24, 7:41 AM

Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said on Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine that the team is hoping that impending free-agent tight end Travis Kelce returns for a 14th NFL season, according to Nate Taylor of ESPN. At the same time, Veach said the Chiefs are "prepared for either scenario" when discussing Kelce's future. The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer is contemplating retirement for the second straight offseason, but the general feeling is that he will return in 2026. Kelce was still plenty productive last year despite the Chiefs not making the playoffs for the first time in a decade. He finished as the TE4 in half-PPR scoring with 76 receptions on 108 targets for 851 yards and five touchdowns in 17 games played. If Kelce does come back for a 14th season, it will likely be in KC. Durability will continue to be a concern for Kelce near the end of his career, but if he's back next season, he should still be firmly on the TE1 radar in fantasy drafts.

Friday, February 27, 12:59 PM

The Athletic's Josh Kendall writes that Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. is expected to "play this season on the franchise tag," which Atlanta officially put on him on Tuesday. The Falcons can still attempt to sign Pitts to a long-term deal, "but that's not the vibe" the team is giving when it comes to the tight end. "I just felt (the franchise tag) was best to give us some time to evaluate," new general manager Ian Cunningham said. Pitts had 68 catches for 1,026 yards as a rookie in 2021, but then had three straight years where he averaged 542 receiving yards before bouncing back in 2025 with a career-high 88 receptions for 928 yards. The Falcons are basically telling the 25-year-old former fourth overall pick that he needs to do it again in 2026 before they seriously consider inking him to a long-term extension. Pitts certainly has the skills to be a high-end TE1 again in fantasy, but the quarterback situation might not do him any favors with Michael Penix Jr. coming off a serious knee injury and facing pressure to prove he's the franchise QB.