Travis Kelce sent warning by JJ Watt after Kansas City Chiefs star is hailed for resurgent performance vs. Chargers

Travis Kelce will not be able to stave off Father Time forever, JJ Watt has warned after the tight end returned to form against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Kelce set a new franchise record as the Chiefs went 4-0 with a 17-10 victory at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

It came after he had struggled in Kansas City’s opening three games, amassing just 69 yards and eight receptions combined.

Analysts including Tony Romo and Jim Nantz hit back at those who questioned whether the tight end might be past his best.

Many have also wondered if Kelce’s relationship with Taylor Swift or his busy life off the field – including his TV work – have contributed to his sluggish performances.

Travis Kelce getting the ball again is AWESOME#PMSLive #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/iN38mud4xx

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 2, 2024

Kelce turns 35 on Saturday and is cutting back on junk food to prolong his career – and avoid feeling ‘lethargic’ during games.

But defensive-end-turned-analyst Watt insists the time will come when age is the only reason for Kelce’s struggles on the field.

‘He is getting older (and) at some point your stats are going to start to go down,’ Watt, 35, said on the Pat McAfee show.

‘You can’t do it until you’re 45 years old – especially at a tight end position like that. So, we can’t analyze every single week: Oh my gosh, is he…? Yeah, at some point, you do start to slow down.’

Watt, who retired after the 2022 season, added: ‘I didn’t say he is right now. I said at some point he’s going to and people don’t need to find something to blame it on – his offseason, his girlfriend, whatever it may be.

‘At some point it’s just: football is football, it’s hard, you play it for very long time and as you get a little older it gets a little more difficult.

‘So if you want to pinpoint something because you want a clickbait headline, or you want to get all the Swifties riled up, go for it.

‘But the truth is: sometimes football is just football.’