Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce made both NFL and franchise history in Week 16.
The most significant record — he became the NFL’s single-season leader in receiving yards by a tight end for the second time in his career. He also recorded his 105th reception on the season, which made him the only tight end in NFL history with two seasons with over 100 receptions. The 105 receptions beat out his own record of 103 receptions, good for the most in franchise history.
Despite the record-breaking day by Kelce, he has remained focused on the bigger picture.
“It’s cool to be a part of, but the real record that I’m proud of right now is that it’s the first time that the Chiefs have ever been 14-1,” Kelce said following the Falcons game on Sunday. “We’re going to try and make it 15-1 next week. I really don’t get caught up in the personal accolades. I work my tail off to just try and be the best teammate and the best player I can be for this organization on and off the field.”
Kelce isn’t concerned with his personal accolades when there are still larger, team goals left to accomplish. He’s thankful to be recognized for his hard work and effort that he puts into being a great player, but he’s still continuing to work toward getting better. Ultimately, the only thing that matters is reaching that end goal of becoming repeat Super Bowl champions.
“Getting recognized like that, it’s awesome because the Chiefs, my teammates, my coaches, people in this building are proud of me in that regard,” Kelce continued. “And heck, it can make my family extremely happy, something they can talk smack [about] to the person next to them. But at the end of the day, there’s always more to accomplish in a team game.”
Kelce currently has the second-most receiving yards in the NFL and the fifth-most scrimmage yards with a total of 1,416 yards through Week 16. This has left him with a chance to do something that no other tight end in the NFL has ever done before — lead the league in receiving yards. The problem is that Week 17 is virtually meaningless for the team and Andy Reid plans to rest several starters.
All signs point to Kelce being among the players to get Week 17 off en route to the playoffs. The team has already announced that backup QB Chad Henne will get the start, with starting QB Patrick Mahomes getting the day off. No matter what the decision is for Kelce in Week 17, he’s ready to do his job, whatever it may entail.
“I’m just going to come in on Wednesday and get ready to work,” Kelce said. “It is what it is. If I end up suiting up and I get a chance to play against the Chargers then you’ll see me out there giving it my all. If not, then I’ll be out there cheering on my guys and trying to be every bit a part of the game that I can be for the guys.”
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