Kansas City Chiefs standout Travis Kelce had already confirmed he would return for the 2025 season. However, the team appears to be planning for his eventual decline and exit.

On Tuesday, March 11, the Chiefs took a significant step in this direction by securing a one-year deal with former Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan. Tonyan, who spent the last season mostly with the Minnesota Vikings, concluded the year on the Chiefs’ practice squad.

Undrafted from Indiana State in 2018, Tonyan spent five years in Green Bay and became a favored target for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He notably caught 11 touchdown passes from the MVP in 2020, though his performance has waned since then. Many fans, unfamiliar with Tonyan’s current standing in the league, expressed strong reactions on social media, as the NFL’s official X post about the signing garnered over a million views.

“This is quite significant. He’s a really underrated tight end,” one fan remarked. “He could become Mahomes’ favorite target after Kelce.” “Travis Kelce should be cautious; his position might be overtaken,” another fan commented.

“Is Tonyan the successor for when Kelce retires?” another user wondered. A concerned Chiefs supporter expressed a similar sentiment: “Are we preparing for Kelce’s retirement?🥲” “Kelce’s successor – Big Bob Tonyan,” another fan added.

In the previous year, Tonyan showed promise during the Vikings’ training camp and was regarded as the top candidate to fill in for T.J. Hockenson, who was recovering from hamstring surgery, for the first half of the season.

However, a back injury disrupted Tonyan’s training camp, and he struggled to find a role, appearing in five games without recording any stats. While Tonyan may still contribute to the Chiefs, as one fan suggested, his acquisition seems primarily for depth. “With Kelce advancing in age, adding Tonyan provides the Chiefs with another veteran option at tight end. It’s a smart move for depth,” they noted.