Is Travis Kelce the Greatest Tight End in NFL History?

Longtime NFL fans shouldn’t have been surprised if they were asked, “Is Travis Kelce a good player?” at any point during the last season. People who watch the sport every Sunday (and Monday … and Thursday) would’ve responded affirmatively and without hesitation, even if they’d been on the wrong end of a dominant Kelce performance many times before.

We apologize to Las Vegas Raiders fans for the early insult. 

Kelce’s relationship with Taylor Swift put the veteran tight end on the global stage in a way arguably not seen of any athlete in the 21st century. As Swifties found a new Sunday hobby, they understandably wanted to know if their idol’s new beau was a winner. 

4 Stats That Prove Travis Kelce Is the GOAT Tight End

Yes, Travis Kelce is actually pretty good, and his season stats perennially earn him a spot on the NFL’s All-Pro team. Off numbers alone, Taylor Swift made an excellent choice by deciding to write a love story with the Kansas City Chiefs star tight end.  

Now that Swifties know if Kelce is a good player, they can join traditional football fans in wondering if the three-time Super Bowl champion is the best tight end in NFL history. Hey, don’t look so mad! You need to calm down, because the case for Kelce isn’t as ridiculous as it sounds—and we have the numbers to prove it!

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1. Travis Kelce and the 900-catch club

Entering the 2024 season, Travis Kelce is one of only four tight ends in NFL history with over 900 career catches. Kelce will start his 12th NFL campaign with 907 receptions, trailing only Tony Gonzalez (1,325), Jason Witten (1,228), and Antonio Gates (955). Barring injury, Kelce shouldn’t have any issues passing Gates, a recent Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist, in the coming months.

Whether or not Kelce will surpass Gonzalez, a 2019 Hall of Fame inductee, remains to be seen. Gonzalez not only played until he was 37 years old, but averaged 82 catches per year in his final four seasons. For what it’s worth, Kelce has averaged 98 receptions per year since the NFL expanded to 17 games in 2021.

2. Kelce has been a 1,000-yard machine

Unsurprisingly, Kelce trails the same three tight ends in career receiving yards; Gonzalez leads all tight ends with 15,127 yards, ahead of Witten (13,046) and Gates (11,841). Longtime Denver Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe, who ended his career with 815 catches, is the only other tight end in the 10,000-yard club.

Can Kelce, who owns 11,328 career receiving yards, eventually surpass Gonzalez? Anything is possible with Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback! Kelce has six career 1,000-yard receiving seasons, though his 65.6 yards per game in 2023 marked his lowest output since 2015.

With that said, Kelce’s six 1,000-yard campaigns are more than Gonzalez, who had four. Witten also had four, and Gates only joined the club twice. 

3. Travis Kelce’s postseason numbers are incredible

Let’s get to the meat and potatoes of what really makes Travis Kelce the greatest tight end in NFL history. Kelce currently leads all players in NFL history with 165 catches, more than the likes of Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, or Randy Moss, legendary wide receivers who appeared on the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019.

Rice, a four-time Super Bowl champion with the San Francisco 49ers, still holds the advantage in playoff receiving yards (2,245) and receiving touchdowns (22). Remember, though, that Rice was a receiver. Kelce has stretched the field and tormented defenses as a tight end, tallying 1,903 yards and 19 touchdowns in the postseason. 

4. Kelce is the greatest tight end in Super Bowl history

By no fault of their own, none of Gates, Gonzalez, or Witten ever played in a Super Bowl. In fact, Witten never even participated in an NFC Championship Game! Sharpe, an eight-time Pro Bowler, tallied eight receptions for 69 yards and no touchdowns in three career Super Bowl wins.

Then, there’s Kelce, who has 31 catches, 350 receiving yards, and two touchdowns in four Super Bowl outings. Remember, his goal-line catch from Mahomes in Super Bowl 54 pulled the Chiefs within three against the 49ers, providing the momentum needed for an eventual 31-20 victory. The Cincinnati product hauled in nine catches for 93 yards in last year’s rematch with the 49ers, a feat arguably made more impressive given Swift’s presence in Las Vegas.

Love him or hate him, good luck arguing against Kelce being the best tight end in NFL history now. So it goes…

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