Travis Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, had the good fortune to catch passes from three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Alex Smith throughout his first four years of play.
During that time, he averaged 76 receptions, 106 targets, 975 yards, and 5.5 touchdowns annually. However, it was when Patrick Mahomes became the team’s starting quarterback in 2018 that Kelce truly started to develop into one of the NFL’s best tight ends.
No tight end has more receptions (697), yards (82,1), or touchdowns (55) than Kelce since then. His stats have soared to 99 catches, 138 targets, 1,178 yards, and 7.8 touchdowns annually.
Travis Kelce interview with Chris Berman pic.twitter.com/BpEgYKmuha
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Even though he was consistently among the top 10 players in his position, Kelce admits that it wasn’t until Mahomes took center stage in the offense that he turned the corner in his career and the Chiefs’ success.
Kelce believes Mahomes’ legacy in the NFL is already assured because he has won three Super Bowl titles, three Super Bowl MVP awards, two NFL MVP awards, six Pro Bowls, and three All-Pro honors before turning thirty.
The player is just as amazing off the field as he is on it. He is family to me. Throughout my career with the Chiefs, Andy Reid has been a constant, but after Pat Mahomes joined the team, things truly took off.
“It’s been such a pleasure [playing with Mahomes], man,” Kelce told ESPN’s Chris Berman on Saturday. ”
“I know everybody knows that but what I see in the building is leadership, his ability to relate to everybody and motivate everybody and be accountable — it’s unique, it’s like nothing else. He’s the greatest to ever do it, and you can’t change my mind otherwise.”
In the postseason, Mahomes and Kelce are practically unstoppable.
Last January, they surpassed both Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady for the most touchdowns by a quarterback-tight end in playoff history. Together, they have produced more than an All-Pro season’s worth of output in the postseason, with 142 receptions, 1,609 yards, and 18 touchdowns.
The Chiefs’ attempt to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls will probably revolve on the Mahomes-Kelce relationship. With a trip to the AFC championship game on the line, Kansas City takes on the Houston Texans on Saturday.
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