Travis Kelce can make more history if he decides to retire after the 2025 season…See More

Travis Kelce can make more history if he decides to retire after the 2025 season…See More

Travis Kelce’s place in NFL history has long been secure as one of the most productive tight ends the league has ever seen. Now, as he approaches what could be the final game of his career, his résumé has grown to the point where the conversation extends well beyond his position.

Kelce is making a legitimate case not only as the greatest tight end of all time, but as one of the most accomplished pass catchers the NFL has ever produced, regardless of label.

Kelce continued his climb up the all-time receiving charts in Thursday night’s 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos. He finished with five catches for 36 yards, a modest stat line by his standards, but one that carried historic significance.

Those receptions pushed him past Anquan Boldin into ninth place on the NFL’s all-time receptions list, giving Kelce 1,077 for his career. With just two more catches, he would move past Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens for eighth place, placing him in even rarer company.
What makes Kelce’s standing remarkable is the list of names he is now chasing. Only Jerry Rice, Larry Fitzgerald, Tony Gonzalez, Jason Witten, Marvin Harrison, Cris Carter and Tim Brown have more receptions than Kelce.

Aside from Gonzalez and Witten, every player ahead of him is remembered as a dominant wide receiver. Kelce reaching this territory as a tight end underscores how much he has blurred traditional positional lines during his career. Kansas City’s season has not unfolded as planned, and Thursday’s loss marked the Chiefs’ fifth straight defeat and eighth one-score loss of the year.