The NFL records books are being written with new chapters weekly as today’s players challenge the standards set by legends. The rapid ascent of Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce has changed the perception of the position that was once known for blocking instead of receptions.
After Week 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kelce has now entered the top five all-time in receiving yards by a tight end in NFL history. He joins only former Chiefs legend Tony Gonzalez, Jason Witten, Antonio Gates, and Shannon Sharpe after passing Rob Gronkowski during last Sunday’s victory over the Bucs. Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. recently sat down with Kelce, who shared his thoughts on joining the elite company in the top five.
“Oh, man. Honestly, it was an honor to be in sixth place. Man, to be on a list with all those greats is pretty epic is pretty, pretty cool. I can’t really put it into words,” said Kelce. “But I know that, you know, being on that list and seeing how much further down the road Tony Gonzalez is. It seems like he’s a lifetime away from me catching him, and I’ve been trying to fill his shoes my entire career. So I still got a long, long way to go before I’m anywhere near him. But it is unbelievable company, and I’m definitely honored to be a part of that.”
Gonzalez leads the receiving yards category by a significant margin with 15,127. Kelce is one of two players in the top five who is under 10,000 yards receiving alongside Shannon Sharpe. He’ll have a chance to pass Sharpe this season with plenty of ground to gain on the others in the next few years.