Chiefs TE Travis Kelce may be lock for Hall of Fame, but is he a first-ballot inductee?
In Monday's win over the Raiders, Kansas City's Travis Kelce set a MNF record for TD catches by a tight end with four and underscored his value to the league's No. 1 offense. Kelce, in his 10th NFL season, seems like a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The question now may be: Could he be a first-ballot selection?
Among tight ends, only former Chiefs star Tony Gonzalez has made the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot. In five years, former Patriots and Bucs star Rob Gronkowski may join him. Kelce, a seven-time Pro Bowler, is only 33 and seems to have a lot of football left to play.
With Patrick Mahomes under center and Andy Reid at the helm, Kelce's numbers likely will grow significantly over the next several seasons. If they do, he'll easily get into the Hall five years after he retires.
What separated Gonzalez from tight ends before him were consistency and longevity. That's what Kelce has on his side. He is rarely out of the lineup and has produced at a high level since his second season.
On Tuesday morning, Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe made his argument for Kelce becoming the greatest tight end of all time.
Among tight ends, Kelce ranks fifth all time in yards (9,353), sixth in receptions (737) and sixth in touchdowns (67). He could move up a spot or two on each career list by the end of the season.
Monday night was a Kelce showcase. He made a clutch third-and-goal TD catch to put the Chiefs on the board when they were behind 17-0. In the third quarter, he picked up another third-and-goal target to bring the Chiefs within one score.
His third TD put the Chiefs on top for good after he stiff-armed two defenders before diving across the goal line. He was left open in the back of the end zone for his fourth touchdown.
Kelce also set a quirky record, per Pro Football Reference, for fewest receiving yards for a player with four TD catches in a game (25 yards on seven catches.)
With more games like Monday's, the three-time first-team All-Pro could cement his status as one of the best tight ends in history. And, as Sharpe says, maybe Kelce can become the greatest tight end of all time.
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