The longer he plays, the further Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce cements himself as one of the greatest to ever do it.
How great, though? That’s a discussion Kelce’s name gets thrown in a lot, and it isn’t relative to only his current peers. These days, the 34-year-old’s spot on all-time lists is just as subject to debate. In fact, one outlet took a crack at deciphering that on Monday.
In a recent article for The 33rd Team, Marcus Mosher outlined his top 10 tight ends in NFL history. Kelce took home the second spot, trailing only New England Patriots legend Rob Gronkowski.
“By the time Travis Kelce retires, he’ll own just about every postseason-receiving record not just for tight ends, but for all players,” Mosher wrote. “He’s already played 22 playoff games, recording 1,903 yards and 19 touchdowns. His postseason numbers are nuts, but his regular-season numbers are just as silly. He has already posted seven 1,000-yard receiving seasons and is a nine-time Pro Bowl selection. Since 2014, he’s averaged more than 1,130 yards per season, four of which were with Alex Smith and not Patrick Mahomes.
“Kelce was named to the All-Decade Team for the 2010s, and his start to the 2020s has been even more impressive. The only thing holding him back from being higher on this list is his blocking, but does it even matter if you are this dominant of a receiver?”
Is a No. 2 ranking for Travis Kelce too high or too low?
From a pure receiving standpoint, there may not be a better blend of athleticism, versatility and consistency than Kelce. As Mosher mentioned, he has seven years with at least 1,000 receiving yards (and would’ve had an eighth-straight one had he played in one more game last year). He’s a top-five historical tight end in receptions, yards and touchdowns during the regular season. In the postseason, no one has hauled in more passes than him.
Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing in the neighborhood of 250 pounds, Kelce helped usher in a new era of tight ends. Functioning as a de facto wide receiver, he’s an elite route runner and was just as lethal post-catch during his prime. The blocking concern is overblown, in this writer’s opinion, as it wasn’t always emphasized in the Chiefs’ offense and criticisms of Kelce’s prowess there are oftentimes unfair. The eye test and advanced stats — Pro Football Focus‘ grades are favorable — back that up.
Gronkowski didn’t have the longevity of Kelce, but his peak was a sight to behold. Take his sophomore campaign in 2011 for example, when he hauled in 90 passes for 1,327 yards and a league-leading 17 touchdowns. In 16 fewer regular-season games, Gronkowski has 18 more career touchdowns than Kelce. That, combined with four All-Pro nods and four Super Bowl rings, makes his case for being the G.O.A.T. a good one.
Ultimately, it might come down to preference at this point. Choosing between Gronkowski, Kelce or even someone like Tony Gonzalez (Mosher’s No. 3 tight end) is a difficult task. If Kelce isn’t the greatest ever, he’s on a very short list of candidates for the crown.
He also has one major element working in his favor: he isn’t done yet.
