Over the past few years, NFL offenses have increasingly leaned into 13 personnel packages featuring three tight ends on the field at the same time. The Kansas City Chiefs currently have Travis Kelce returning for his 14th season, alongside Noah Gray and Jared Wiley. But at the same time, Kansas City also understands that preparing for life after Kelce is becoming increasingly important.
And while Kelce is back for another year, finding a long-term successor naturally remains part of the bigger conversation. Earlier this offseason, the Chiefs had a realistic option available. Fast forward to now, though, and that option is staying inside the AFC West, just not in Kansas City. Former Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku is heading to the Los Angeles Chargers.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Chargers and Njoku agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $8 million. Njoku entered free agency after his four-year deal worth about $55 million with Cleveland ran out. The move came just months after the 29-year-old shared an emotional farewell message to the franchise that selected him in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
“Cleveland, first off I love you,” he wrote. “These 9 years have been a beautiful journey. I’m am so grateful for all the memories we shared together. Thank you to The Haslams, Andrew Berry and the whole browns organization for everything!! All my teammates I shared the battle with I’m so grateful for you guys. The time for me to find a new home has come and all I can think of is just the gratefulness in my heart. The city of Cleveland will forever be home #ChiefOut.”
Sources: The #Chargers have agreed to terms with former #Browns TE David Njoku, giving him a 1-year deal worth up to $8M.
After nine years with Cleveland, Njoku moves on to catch passes from Justin Herbert in a deal done by @malkikawa of @FirstRoundMgmt. pic.twitter.com/3nET4eEwNo
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 11, 2026
At the time Njoku hit free agency, the Chiefs still did not have a clear answer regarding whether Kelce would return for a 14th season. That uncertainty naturally fueled speculation connecting Njoku to Kansas City as a potential target for general manager Brett Veach.
Of course, Njoku has battled injuries over the past two seasons, missing 11 games during that span. Even then, he still managed to produce 97 receptions for 798 yards and nine touchdowns across 23 games. And despite the injuries, the athletic upside remains obvious. Back in 2023, Njoku posted the best statistical season of his career with 81 catches for 882 yards.
At the same time, many expected either Gray or Wiley to eventually develop into Kelce’s successor. But so far, neither has fully convinced the coaching staff that they are ready to take over that role long term, especially Wiley, who is still early in his NFL development. That is exactly why a potential Chiefs pursuit of Njoku made sense in the first place.
Back then, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell also supported the idea.
“Not that they have to follow where the league is going, but just with [running back] Kenneth Walker coming in, it felt like a natural transition. I would even say like a David Njoku, I am kind of surprised they have not reached out to [him] and been like, ‘Hey let’s bring in another veteran tight end who we can play in-line.’”
But fast forward to now, and Kelce is officially back for Year 14. While he remains firmly locked in as TE1 heading into the 2026 season, the Chiefs still eventually need to solve the bigger long-term question surrounding life after Kelce. And now that Njoku is headed to the Chargers instead, Kansas City will have to keep searching for the true successor to one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history.
The Chiefs could trade for a $50 million TE to replace Travis Kelce
Travis Kelce is potentially entering the final stretch of his career while trying to make one last Super Bowl push with the Chiefs. Whether that ending comes this season or not remains to be seen. What does feel inevitable, though, is that Kansas City will eventually need to identify Kelce’s replacement. And now that David Njoku is officially off the table, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has introduced another possible name into the conversation.
Knox recently linked Cole Kmet of the Chicago Bears as a potential fit for the Chiefs while listing possible post-June 1 trade candidates. Kmet has spent more than five seasons in Chicago, but the Bears’ tight end room has become increasingly crowded over the last two years, which is why his name has started surfacing in trade discussions.
For broader context, Chicago continued reshaping its offense under head coach Ben Johnson by drafting tight ends in back-to-back years, selecting Colston Loveland in 2025 and Sam Roush in 2026. Loveland, in particular, quickly impressed the coaching staff after recording 58 receptions for 713 yards and six touchdowns during his rookie season.
Kmet, meanwhile, is still under the four-year, $50 million extension he signed in 2023. But statistically, his production has noticeably declined over the last two seasons. After posting 73 catches for 719 yards in 2023, Kmet followed that up with 47 receptions for 474 yards in 2024 and then 30 receptions for 347 yards in 2025, despite missing only one game during that stretch.
Then there is the financial side of things. The Bears restructured Kmet’s contract earlier this month by converting $7.65 million of his salary into a signing bonus to create cap flexibility. While that move helps Chicago in the short term, his cap hit is still expected to jump to $15.4 million in 2027, which naturally keeps the possibility of a future trade alive.
So, while the Chiefs still have Kelce for now, the search for his eventual successor is clearly becoming a bigger storyline. And with Njoku already gone, it will be interesting to see whether Kansas City eventually shows interest in someone like Kmet to prepare for life after Kelce.
