Travis Kelce stats: How Chiefs tight end became the GOAT over Rob Gronkowski, Tony Gonzalez

When the Chiefs went to Super Bowl 54 after the 2019 NFL season, there was some debate about whether Travis Kelce was even the best current tight end in the league. Heck, at that time, 49ers counterpart George Kittle had the much better case with his high level of receiving and blocking production.

As Kelce's Chiefs and Kittle's 49ers meet again in Super Bowl 58 to close the 2023 season, Kelce isn't just considered better than Kittle — he's risen to status  of the greatest tight end of all time, aka the "GOAT." 

Four seasons is a long time in the NFL and starting at age 31, Kelce has put together the best four-season stretch of his career. His durability and availability have remained a strength while he has kept piling on the impressive big stats, including playoffs.

Although Kittle has been producing well, too, since the 2020 season, Kelce has separated from his "Tight End U." good friend with more eye-popping numbers. Now Kelce has advanced to having the winning GOAT argument over fellow Chiefs legend Tony Gonzalez and his former contemporary No. 87, Rob Gronkowski.

Before contrasting Kelce with Gonzo and Gronk, let's see how his stats from '20-'23 have made the biggest imprint on his 11-year career so far:

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Travis Kelce stats, the past four seasons

Regular season

Playoffs

Kelce's 2020 performance set the single-season record for most receiving yards by a tight end with 1,416. He broke Kittle's record of 1,377 set in 2018. In 2022, Kelce put up the fourth-highest total of all time at 1,338, two yards ahead of his own 2018 mark of 1,336.

The production from age 31 to 34 is incredible for Kelce, along with missing only four games in four seasons. Kittle missed twice that many games just in 2020.

Then consider what Kelce has done in 12 playoff games since Super Bowl 54 with one more to come in Super Bowl 58. Those above numbers add up to 104 catches, 1,178 yards and 13 TDs. That averages to 9 catches and 98 yards per game with more than a score a game.

Over his regular-season career, Kelce has averaged almost 6 catchers per game for a little more than 71 yards per game. He tends to raise his play in the playoffs to a whole new clutch level of downfield receiving and scoring. That playoff production is almost like adding another elite season to Kelce's prime years.

Travis Kelce stats vs. Rob Gronkowski stats

Gronkowski retired for good after playing 11 seasons at age 32 in 2022. That works well for this exercise as Kelce is up to playing 11 seasons for the Chiefs, setting up a direct regular-season comparison:

• Games played: Kelce 159 | Gronkowski 143
• Receiving targets: Kelce 1,267 | Gronkowski 960
• Receptions: Kelce 907 | Gronkowski 621
• Receiving yards: Kelce 11,328 | Gronkowski 9,286
• Yards per catch: Kelce 12.5 | Gronkowski 15.0
• Catch rate: Kelce 71.6 | Gronkowski 64.7
• Receiving touchdowns: Kelce 74 | Gronkowski 92
• Pro Bowl selections: Kelce 9 | Gronkowski 5
• All-Pro first teams: Kelce 4 | Gronkowski 4
• Super Bowl rings: Kelce 2 | Gronkowski 4

Gronkowski had the better scoring and field-stretching success in the window with his yards per catch and TDs, but everywhere else, it's a Kelce domination. In four short seasons with Kelce also getting the benefit of Gronkowski retiring halfway in between, Kelce accelerated past Gronkowski as the best modern-era tight end.

Gronkowski and Kittle have been perceived as superior blockers because they were and have been called upon to do that more as more classic in-line tight ends. Kelce is used more like a wide receiver in the Chiefs' offense under Andy Reid, often moved off the line to run routes at an almost 65 percent clip and blocking around only 35 percent of the time. But at opportune times, Kelce has come through blocking to more than complement his unmatched receiving prowess.

Travis Kelce stats vs. Tony Gonzalez stats

When Gonzalez retired after 17 NFL seasons in 2014, he had set a high bar for receiving tight ends. He is third all-time, including wide receivers, in receptions with 1,325, behind only Jerry Rice (1,549) and Larry Fitzgerald (1,432). Gonzalez is also sixth all-time in receiving yards with 15,127.

What Gonzalez produced for the Chiefs and Falcons might be difficult to reach for Kelce unless he plays another six more seasons, too, all the way through age 40. Gonzalez was 37 in his final season with Atlanta.

Gonzalez played in only seven playoff games with his two teams, or a third of Kelce's career opportunities ahead of Super Bowl 58. On top of playing in different eras, it's difficult to compare them based on the length of Gonzalez's career and his limited postseason chances in relation to Kelce.

Here is looking at the per game regular-season averages for Gonzalez and Kelce:

• Receptions per game: Kelce 5.7 | Gonzalez 4.9
• Receiving yards per game: Kelce 71.7 | Gonzalez 56.0
• Receiving TDs: Kelce 74 in 159 games | Gonzalez 111 in 270 games
• Yards per catch: Kelce 12.5 | Gonzalez 11.4
• Catch rate: Kelce 71.6 | Gonzalez 65.9

Should Kelce play as long as Gonzalez, another six seasons while avoiding a big injury, not only would Kelce surpass Gonzalez in receptions and receiving yards, he also would shatter his tight end records. Kelce also would be on track to break Antonio Gates' tight end all-time high of 116 TDs.

Given the state of the modern NFL and Kelce hinting at not playing too much longer, it's unlikely Kelce will play 17 seasons like Gonzalez or 16 like Gates did. But he should play longer than Gronkowski. Another 1-3 seasons looks like the window for Kelce to improve his total marks.

Kelce knows that whatever happens with his playing future, he already has nailed down one big playoff record among all receivers with 156 receptions, ahead of GOAT wide receiver Jerry Rice. Kelce is second only to Rice with his 1,810 playoff receiving yards and 19 playoff receiving TDs.

What Kelce has done between Super Bowls 54 and 58 has squashed any arguments for Kittle now, Gronkowski then and Gonzalez back when being better than Kelce. From the statistics to the winning, Kelce has by far the best mix of elements in his favor as the GOAT tight end and that won't change for a while.