‘Vandy Unicorn’ is 6ft 4in juggernaut lined up by Chiefs to replace Travis Kelce amid retirement dilemma

As the dust settles on the 2025 season, the whispers in Kansas City have turned into a deafening roar.

With Travis Kelce, now 36 and fresh off a grueling campaign, facing a retirement decision that would shift the franchise, the Chiefs are reportedly looking at a successor plan that starts in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Enter Eli Stowers.

The Vanderbilt standout isn’t just another tight end prospect; he’s the reigning John Mackey Award winner and a player whose journey from a four-star quarterback at Texas A&M to one of the nation’s premier tight ends has scouts salivating.

What makes Stowers the perfect Kelce replacement isn’t just his frame (6’4″, 235 lbs), but his history. Much like the legendary Chiefs’ #87, Stowers views the game through the lens of a signal-caller.

After transferring from Texas A&M to New Mexico State, Stowers made the selfless switch to tight end to help his team. He then followed quarterback Diego Pavia to Vanderbilt, where he didn’t just play the position—he seemed to master it.

In 2025, Stowers was a statistical juggernaut, racking up 769 receiving yards (first among all Power Four tight ends), 62 receptions, and four touchdowns while earning unanimous All-American honors.

He turned himself into a unicorn at the position.

The Chiefs’ offense sputtered at times during their 6-11 season, largely due to a lack of a consistent intermediate threat when Kelce was doubled or off the field.

NFL draft analysts, including ESPN’s Jordan Reid and Pro Football Network’s T.J. Randall, have already mocked Stowers to KC in the second or third round.

“In Round 2, they could address Kelce’s uncertain future by drafting a tight end like Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt),” Reid wrote.

“Eli Stowers is an exercise in receiver versus tight end classification, considering the chasm between his contributions in the passing game and running game. The 2025 Mackey Award winner will bring his 1,700 career receiving yards to KC for an exciting Travis Kelce replacement when the time comes,” Randall wrote.

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That time could be coming sooner rather than later.

Kelce’s contract has expired, and while the Chiefs are expected to meet with him this March, the reality of a 36-year-old tight end, who turns 37 in October, means a transition is inevitable.

If the Chiefs use their No. 9 overall pick to bolster an offensive line that struggled to protect Patrick Mahomes, Stowers becomes the priority target on Day 2.

The big question in Kansas City is where they would be able to land him. While Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq is widely viewed as the consensus TE1 and a potential mid-first-round pick, Stowers could fall right into the sweet spot for the Chiefs to make their move.

If general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid select Stowers, he’d be tasked with doing exactly what Kelce has done for years: creating mismatches, moving the chains, and serving as Mahomes’ security blanket.

When you look at the physical blueprints, the similarities between Stowers and a young Kelce are striking. Both men arrived at the professional threshold as converted quarterbacks, a background that gives them a better understanding of defensive spacing than most.

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Stowers mirrors the lean, athletic build that Kelce brought to the 2013 Combine, where he famously showcased the fluid hip movement and acceleration that would eventually redefine the tight end position.

While Stowers is currently a bit lighter than the veteran’s playing weight, his track-and-field pedigree, highlighted by a Texas state high jump title, suggests a vertical explosion and body control that could match, if not exceed, Kelce’s own athletic markers.

The comparison grows even more compelling when you dive into the advanced metrics. In his final season at Vanderbilt, Stowers had an elite 2.24 yards per route run, figures that echo the efficiency Kelce has maintained throughout his Hall of Fame career.

While some critics point to Stowers’ current struggles as an in-line blocker, it is worth remembering that Kelce himself was drafted primarily as a receiving threat who had to build the trench-bully part of his game over several seasons under Reid’s tutelage.

Ultimately, the most significant parallel lies in their potential roles within the Kansas City hierarchy. Kelce was a third-round diamond in the rough who became the league’s ultimate safety blanket.

Stowers, currently projected as a Day 2 selection, is being viewed as the modern “big slot” weapon who can keep the Chiefs’ complex passing concepts alive.

With Eric Bieniemy back in the building and Mahomes looking for a reliable intermediate target to ease his return from injury, Stowers represents the potential next best thing.

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