Super Bowl 57 between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles is sure to bring out hot takes as to whether Patrick Mahomes or Andy Reid is the best to ever grace the field in their roles.
However, some hot takes have merit, and legacies are ultimately defined through continued success. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has built a legitimate argument as to being the NFL’s best tight end of all time.
Comparing players across eras is difficult because the NFL is always evolving. Kelce is far from the same player that Jason Witten or Greg Olsen was, both in terms of his athleticism and his usage.
Mahomes said multiple times throughout the week preceding the Super Bowl that Kelce is one of the greatest of all time, lauding his work ethic and the way he approaches the game as special.
We’re diving into the numbers and considering all factors to determine whether Kelce is the best of all his tight end peers to have ever played the game.
Is Travis Kelce the Best Tight End Ever?
The tight end position has been incredibly unique throughout NFL history. For the majority of offenses of decades past, the position was more about blocking and being an occasional red-zone receiving threat. Only four tight ends have reached the 10,000 receiving yard mark, and only 13 have more than 6,741 yards.
There are multiple reasons for this. The position seems to develop slower than others, with few tight end prospects declaring before graduation for the NFL draft, and a long developmental process before production picks up once they’re in the NFL.
Offenses that require blocking from the position but don’t have a standout dual-threat option either use a slot receiver who is quicker or employ a backup capable of blocking.
There have rarely been pure receiving tight ends throughout NFL history, as the league favored more run-first attacks. And it’s incredibly difficult to find nimble pass catchers who weigh 250 pounds. Shannon Sharpe, Zach Ertz, and Jared Cook were probably the best examples of better receivers than blockers until Kelce emerged.
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Of the top-six producers at tight end all-time, Kelce and Sharpe stand out as non-traditional players for the position. Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, and Rob Gronkowski were top-notch blockers and receivers. Jason Witten accomplished longevity and was solid in both roles but was not a special athlete or receiver in comparison.
Kelce has therefore built a unique resume. He wasn’t just the fastest tight end to 10,000 yards, but he did it in 37 fewer games than Gonzalez. Even considering that Kelce has benefitted from Reid’s much more pass-heavy approach since the former entered the league in 2013, we’ve never seen production like this from his position.
Kelce has compiled seven straight seasons with at least 83 receptions and 1,038 receiving yards. He played only one game in his first season in 2013 and still reached at least 67 receptions for 862 yards and five scores in 2014 and 2015. Kelce’s first All-Pro nomination came in QB Alex Smith’s final season as the Chiefs’ starter before Mahomes took over.
There’s not another tight end with that type of high-end run.
Gronkowski, for as dominant as he was, had four seasons with 1,000 yards in 11 years as injuries zapped his availability. His single-season record of 17 touchdown receptions at the position may never be overcome, and he has 92 touchdowns compared to Kelce’s 69. However, it’s not as if his peak was better than Kelce’s, but rather on a similar plane.
Gates and Gonzalez had rare longevity mixed with consistently good production. The former Chargers tight end played 16 seasons, accumulating only two 1,000-yard seasons, but he had eight more with at least 704 yards. Gates transitioned to become a part-time player later in his career, proving to still be a tremendous red zone threat in limited snaps.
Still, Kelce’s consistent high-level pace of yards gained and ability to be the primary weapon on the Chiefs’ offense, even without Tyreek Hill, separates him from Gates. If we could’ve combined Gates’ longevity and durability with Gronkowski’s peak, then either would have an unbeatable resume.
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Gonzalez has the best case against Kelce’s argument for being the best tight end ever. He played 17 seasons, mostly in an era when running backs Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson were bigger pieces of the offense. He also overcame playing with quarterbacks Elvis Grbac and Damon Huard between stints with much more prolific passers like Matt Ryan and Trent Green.
From his third season in 1999 through his final season in 2013, Gonzalez had only two seasons under 849 yards and zero under 656 yards. His remarkable run for 15 years included five seasons over 90 receptions and three over 1,100 yards.
It’s possible that Gonzalez would’ve earned numbers similar to Kelce’s in more pass-happy offenses that also had the most talented quarterback in NFL history.
Instead, Gonzalez was utilized as more of a secondary option, as offenses hadn’t figured out how to maximize his athleticism in space. Kelce has been the next evolution as a pass catcher, averaging almost 16 yards per game more than Gonzalez did throughout his career.
If Kelce continues at his career rate of almost 72 yards a game, he’ll surpass Gonzalez’s tight end record of 15,127 yards in 60 fewer games.
Reaching that level of production over the next four to five years will be difficult. Because Kelce was a 24-year-old rookie and played only one game in 2013, he started out behind the eight-ball compared to his peers. Gonzalez and Gronkowski were 21 as rookies, and Gates was 23.
It’s hard to see exactly when Kelce’s downturn will begin. He turns 34 this fall but has produced more than 70 yards per game in each of the last five seasons. The other tight end greats aged relatively well, and that trend may play out even better for Kelce, considering he doesn’t block as often as his peers.
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His usage is certainly an interesting point of conversation. He’s gained over 225 more receiving yards after being put in pre-snap motion than any player since 2020. Kelce also finished 2022 with five more touchdowns against man coverage than any player. His volume profiles much more like a dominant WR1 than a tight end.
At some point next postseason, it’s possible Kelce will even pass Jerry Rice’s postseason reception record of 151 catches. The All-World tight end enters the Super Bowl at 127, ahead of Gronkowski’s 98 and Sharpe’s 62.
There will always be a legitimate argument for Gonzalez to be the best tight end of all time, as he didn’t benefit from the pace and aggressiveness of modern NFL offenses for the bulk of his career. But he did play in more pass-centric attacks with Green and Ryan, and he simply wasn’t the athlete Kelce has proven to be.
Barring an early retirement or sudden drop in production, Kelce has a real shot at breaking Gonzalez’s receiving yards record but will likely fall well short of Gates’ 116 touchdowns. Either way, it’s hard to imagine Kelce not getting a gold jacket and joining these stars in the NFL Hall of Fame one day as we continue to debate who the GOAT is.