Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce could very well become the greatest pass-catcher in NFL playoff history.
The Kansas City Chiefs are heading back to the Super Bowl for the third time in four years. In their fifth-straight AFC Championship Game, the Chiefs held off the Cincinnati Bengals to take the 23-20 win on a game-winning 45-yard field goal by Harrison Butker.
Let’s not forget the performance from tight end Travis Kelce, who caught seven-of-eight targets for 78 yards and a touchdown, and this was after he was questionable to play due to a back injury. Yeah, Kelce was just fine based on his performance.
With Kelce set to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 57, he has the chance to further cement his status as an underrated, greatest of all-time playoff performer. When it comes to the top three receiving categories in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, Kelce ranks second in all of them behind Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice.
In NFL postseason history:
Most receptions:
1. Jerry Rice
2. Travis KelceMost Receiving yards:
1. Jerry Rice
2. Travis KelceMost Receiving TDs:
1. Jerry Rice
2. Travis Kelce— Braden Gall (@BradenGall) January 30, 2023
Travis Kelce ranks second behind Jerry Rice in major playoff receiving categories
Let’s take a look at the specific numbers between Rice and Kelce.
- Jerry Rice: 151 receptions, 2,245 receiving yards, 22 touchdowns
- Travis Kelce: 127 receptions, 1,467 receiving yards, 15 touchdowns (tied with Rob Gronkowski)
When looking at the numbers, Kelce isn’t that far behind from tying or breaking the records set by Rice.
Kelce had a big night, not only for his 78-yards and one touchdown performance but also for stealing the show after the game. He threw verbal jabs at the Bengals for dubbing Arrowhead Stadium “Burrowhead.”
That, and he sent a message to Cincinnati mayor Aftab Pureval for asking Joe Burrow to take a paternity test to see if he was Patrick Mahomes’ “father,” and that was “know your role and shut your mouth,” taking a page out of The Rock’s playbook.
With around two weeks to go ahead of the Super Bowl, Kelce will prepare for an Eagles defense that has allowed just 208.7 yards per game (fifth-fewest in NFL) and 22 touchdowns (tied-11th fewest). Not to mention, he’ll be facing off against his older brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce.
Super Bowl 57 takes place on Sunday, Feb. 12. With how well Kelce is playing, there’s a decent chance he begins to gain ground on Rice in the all-time receiving categories in the playoffs.
