Travis Kelce is on the verge of making more NFL history with the Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are hoping to come back from a dismal season and once again be the championship team that they know they're capable of being.

One of the team's key players is back in 2026, of course, and that's Travis Kelce. The tight end is entering yet another season in the NFL, and it could be his last, although he hasn't given any indication that he'll retire next year.

Well, Kelce is the kind of player who's used to making big plays, and he could break a record in the NFL as early as the Chiefs' very first game of the season.

Travis Kelce is closing in on a major NFL record

In ESPN's preseason NFL power rankings, released on Tuesday, the outlet places the Chiefs at No. 13. That's not as high as a championship team would like to be, but it makes sense, because they ended last season not even making it to the playoffs.

In the piece, Nate Taylor of ESPN states that the "milestone to watch" with the Chiefs is Kelce "reaching second-most receiving yards by a tight end in NFL history."

He's almost there. So close.

"Entering this season, Kelce has 13,002 receiving yards," Taylor states in the piece. "All he needs is 45 yards to surpass Jason Witten for the second most by a tight end in NFL history."

From there, Taylor projects that "fans can expect Kelce to reach this next accomplishment in the Chiefs' season opener against the Broncos, a rival he has tormented throughout his Hall of Fame-worthy career."

Taylor also writes that "Mahomes, who is expected to be ready for Week 1 after knee surgery, has always made Kelce his go-to pass catcher on third down. It's possible Kelce passes Witten on a third down before the 'Monday Night Football' halftime show."

If Mahomes can stay healthy and Kelce can play to his best abilities, it will certainly help the Chiefs get back to where they need to be.