Travis Kelce coming up on milestone that would etch him in Chiefs lore forever

The prolific pass-catcher has already enjoyed a stellar career. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce continues to climb up the charts.

It’s been quite a run for a player that was a third-round draft choice in 2013 and only played in one game during his rookie season. The Kansas City Chiefs invested the 63rd overall pick that year on University of Cincinnati tight end Travis Kelce. He’s proven to be quite a worthwhile investment, and that’s a huge understatement.

The 6-5, 256-pound target continues to rack up imposing numbers. In each of the past seven seasons, he’s caught at least 80 passes and totaled 1,000-plus receiving yards. His career totals with the franchise currently stand at 814 receptions, good for 10,344 yards and 69 touchdowns. With the 2023 NFL season on the horizon, he’s closing in on quite the milestone when it comes to the organization.

Tony Gonzalez, enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019, accumulated 10,940 receiving yards in 12 seasons with the franchise. A quick calculation tells us Kelce needs 596 receiving yards to tie the franchise record.

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs don’t look like they’re pumping brakes anytime soon

Kelce and the Kansas City offense certainly show no signs of slowing down, especially with prolific quarterback Patrick Mahomes at the controls and head coach Andy Reid calling the shots. A repeat year in 2023 might be tricky, but if any team can do it, it’s this one. It’s worth noting that the fewest receiving yards that Kelce has had in any season was back in 2014 (862).

There’s something else to keep in mind when it comes to the eight-time Pro Bowler, four-time All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion. Kelce’s 10,344 yards ranks a distant 47th in NFL history, however, he’s one of only four tight ends in league annals to reach the 10,000-yard mark. The all-time leader is Gonzalez (15,127), followed by Jason Witten (13,046) and Antonio Gates (11,841). That list is certainly a discussion for another time.

Kelce is coming off a season in which he managed personal bests in targets (152), catches (110), receiving yards (1,338) and touchdown receptions (12) in 17 regular-season contests. It will be interesting to see if he surpasses those totals in 2023.