Chiefs’ Jones Has 2-Word Response to Kelce Disses

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Chris Jones wasn’t exactly polite.

After former GM Mike Tannenbaum advised the Chiefs to move on from Travis Kelce on Wednesday, Jones had an efficient, two-word response.

“I would move on from Travis Kelce, and let me tell you why,” Tannenbaum said on Wednesday’s edition of SportsCenter. “When you're in the front office, you have to project what a player is going to do, not what they’ve done. I’ve made that mistake countless days in my career.

chris jone — Dec 25, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) celebrates after a play during the fourth quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

“Travis Kelce is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but when you watch him and make an honest, sober evaluation of his 2025 performance, clearly his best days are behind him. We talked about their lack of explosive plays. If I was Kansas City, I would make the right, albeit-difficult decision to move on from Travis Kelce, trying to get younger, faster, more explosive at the tight-end position.”

"I would move on from Travis Kelce. ... If I was Kansas City, I would make the right, albeit difficult, decision."@RealTannenbaum on Travis Kelce's future with the Chiefs ✍️ pic.twitter.com/Stsrhh7jZv
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 18, 2026

Swiss-cheese argument

Tannenbaum’s assessment is full of holes, based on pure data. Obviously, Kelce’s best days are behind him, but he just turned in one of the most productive seasons of his career – a significant improvement compared to 2024.

Kelce’s 11.2 yards per reception and 5.6 yards after the catch per reception marked his best numbers in three years. His receiving yards (851), touchdown catches (5) and receiving success rate (61.1) all were better than the prior season.

travis kelc — Dec 25, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) takes the field prior to a game against the Denver Broncos at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Plus, anyone who follows the Chiefs on a daily basis noticed the fruits of Kelce’s offseason regimen. He was much more explosive, elusive and open than 2024.

Kelce may not play at all in 2026 and if he does return for Year 14, Tannenbaum is correct that the future Hall of Famer may not play for the Chiefs. However, Tannenbaum missed the boat on why.

Kelce could move on, not the Chiefs

Kelce may move on from the Chiefs, rather than Kansas City moving on from him. That’s because the player and team might not agree on his value, which could lead to Kelce testing the free-agent market for the first time in his career.

The other gaping hole in Tannenbaum’s take is that the Chiefs don’t need to move on from Kelce. They need to move toward a better offense that doesn’t make him, by default, their leading receiver. He needs to be their third- or fourth-leading pass-catcher.

He’s led the Chiefs in receptions each of the last four years, which was fine when the Chiefs were winning Super Bowls. But the league has clearly caught up to Kansas City’s playbook and tendencies. That’s where the Chiefs need to improve, and they can do it with Kelce, not without him – assuming they can re-sign him.

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