Travis Kelce Emerges As The Career Catches Leader For The Kansas City Chiefs

INGLEWOOD: After surpassing Tony Gonzalez with his second reception against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Travis Kelce earned the Kansas City Chiefs’ all-time career catches leader. The nine-time Pro Bowl tight end tied the record of 916 receptions set by Gonzalez over 12 seasons from 1997 to 2008 with a 38-yard reception on Kansas City’s opening drive. Early in his own 12-year career with the Chiefs, Kelce broke the previous mark after catching a 5-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes on the team’s fourth drive.

Kelce Had A Sluggish Start Statistically

Taylor Swift was not present at SoFi Stadium to witness the 34-year-old tight end Kelce’s most recent accomplishment. Kelce ranks fourth in the NFL record for tight end receptions. He sits behind Antonio Gates, Jason Witten, and Gonzalez, who played five seasons with Atlanta after finishing with 1,325 catches during his Chiefs career. In his first three games of the season, Kelce had a sluggish start statistically, logging just eight catches for 69 yards in the face of what Mahomes claimed was increased defensive pressure from opponents.

A Larger Role In The Winning Team’s Attack

After leading receiver Rashee Rice hurt his knee in a collision with quarterback Patrick Mahomes at the time of an interception return during the first quarter against the Chargers, the seasoned tight end may need to assume an even larger role in the winning team’s attack. Mahomes toppled Kelce downfield to set up the play, which allowed Kristian Fulton to intercept. On Saturday, Kelce will be 35. He is on the verge of breaking two more franchise records for the Kansas City Chiefs. Only Gonzalez has more touchdown receptions (77) than him with 74. Kelce’s 77 complete touchdowns are 7 behind Priest Holmes’ Chiefs mark of 84.