Travis Kelce is already considered one of the top tight ends of all time, but he can cement his legacy further on Sunday when the Kansas City Chiefs play the Los Angeles Chargers.
He is on the verge of extending his current record of consecutive seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards. However, he is not there yet. If Kelce manages to get the required yardage in Week 18, then his record will stand at eight consecutive seasons.
What Does Travis Kelce Need To Break 1,000 Yards?
Update 01/07/2024: Although Kelce was in line to add another 1,000 yard season to his list of accomplishments, the Chiefs tight end was a surprise inactive ahead of the game. With their playoff position already locked, Andy Reid and company decide to play things safe.
When the Cheifs take on the Chargers in Week 18, Kelce will need just 16 yards to reach the magic 1,000. Kelce has 984 yards through 17 weeks of the NFL regular season as he searches to extend his record.
However, the Chiefs will not play their starters in Week 18 and are resting QB Patrick Mahomes to keep him healthy for the postseason after clinching a playoff spot after their Week 17 victory over the Bengals.
It means Kansas City will be starting backup Blaine Gabbert against the Chargers, and although most of the Chiefs starters will be given a rest, it is expected that Kelce will see the field to allow him to reach the 1,000-yard season benchmark.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the “Chiefs are expected to give Kelce a chance to get it today even though their playoff seed and spot is locked in.”
Once Kelce gets the 16 yards he needs, then expect him to head to the benches as the Chiefs wrap him up for the playoff stretch.
Extending his record will cap off a good week for Kelce after he was voted to the Pro Bowl for the ninth time in his career.
Kelce’s Receiving Record
Kelce should easily get the required yardage to move over 100 yards for the 2023 season, continuing his impressive campaigns.
Here is a look at Kelce’s receiving yards total since 2016:
- 2016: 1,125 yards
- 2017: 1,038
- 2018: 1,336
- 2019: 1229
- 2020: 1,416
- 2021: 1,125
- 2022: 1,338
The stats are extremely impressive and are why he is regarded as one of the top tight ends in the game and a potential Hall of Fame player. To have eight consecutive seasons with over 1,000 yards as a tight end is unheard of.
What makes Kelce’s record so special is that no other tight end has more than two consecutive seasons with 1,000+ receiving yards.
MORE: Kansas City Chiefs Depth Chart
Kelce has already broken one record this season, becoming the first Chiefs player to go over 11,000 career receiving yards, becoming the fourth tight end to do so overall. However, of the three other TEs to have gone over that mark (Tony Gonzalez, Jason Witten, and Antonio Gates), Kelce has done it the quickest.
Want to predict the rest of the 2023 season with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? Looking for the most up-to-date NFL standings? What about a breakdown of team depth charts or the NFL schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with that and more!