NFL
Kelce a step away from NFL records they thought nobody could beat
The Chiefs tight end can break historic NFL tallies during the 2024-25 postseason, which Kansas City kicks off with a clash against the Texans.
For the past couple of years or so, the name Travis Kelce has transcended the boundaries of sport. The Chiefs tight end isn’t only well known as a cornerstone of Kansas City’s dynasty of success; he’s also become a prominent pop-culture figure. Kelce’s romance with the singer Taylor Swift has catapulted him to previously unexpected levels of fame: he’s now a regular presence on the front covers of glossy magazines, in TV ads, in internet memes...
But the three-time Super Bowl champion also remains a firm football man - a player who, at 35, continues to busy himself with the task of writing his name into the NFL history books.
What NFL records can Kelce break for the Chiefs in this season’s playoffs?
There are so many moments and plays that serve to illustrate the greatness of Kelce’s NFL career. But nothing more effectively underlines his impact on pro football than the fact that he’s in the same conversation as the finest receiver of all time: Jerry Rice. During his 20-year career in the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers icon set records that seemed unbeatable. Yet Kelce, a tight end who has redefined his position, is close to overtaking the legendary No. 80 in two coveted categories in the playoffs: receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Ahead of the Chiefs’ Divisional round game with the Houston Texans this weekend, Kelce has 1,903 career receiving yards to his name in the postseason - just 342 fewer than Rice’s total of 2,245. Meanwhile, he has 19 receiving touchdowns, only three shy of Rice’s unmatched haul of 22.
What’s more, Kelce is level with Rice in another stat: both have managed at least 100 receiving yards in eight playoff games.
Kelce a king of consistency
What makes Kelce’s 12-season career in the NFL all the more remarkable is the way he has brought new meaning to the role of tight end. For years, the tight end was relegated to being a mere support act in a team’s running offense, or backup option in the passing game. Kelce has challenged that narrative; particularly since wide receiver Tyreek Hill left the Chiefs, the Ohioan has become the first man that quarterback Patrick Mahomes looks for - and his production levels have been more typical of a WR than a TE.
Since 2018, Kelce has registered more than 100 receptions each season, if you include the playoffs. He has shown a degree of consistency that places him in the company of NFL greats such as Rice and Arizona Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald. This year, having managed 97 receptions during the regular season, Kelce is on the verge of bringing up three figures for the seventh year in a row.

Will this be Kelce’s last season?
And as he continues to stack up impressive achievements, Kelce is facing the inevitable questions about his retirement, amid rumors that this could be the veteran’s final season in the NFL. However, he has insisted that he isn’t ready to hang up his boots just year. According to Kelce, Swift is an influence that motivates him to continue his NFL career. “She’s fully encouraging me to enjoy playing this game,” he told the Stephen A. Smith Show this week.
Can the Chiefs complete historic Super Bowl treble?
This season, there is also major NFL history to be made for the Chiefs as whole. In the Super Bowl era, no NFL team has ever won back-to-back-to-back championships. In the 1960s, Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers went on a run of three straight titles that began before the event’s inception, but since then it has proven an elusive achievement: Tom Brady’s Patriots, Troy Aikman’s Cowboys and Terry Bradshaw’s Steelers all came close, but none were able to make it a reality.
Now, with head coach Andy Reid marshalling operations from the sideline and Mahomes calling the shots on the field, the Chiefs are out to further cement their dominance with an unprecedented ‘three-peat’. And at the heart of Kansas City’s offense is Travis Kelce - a player who is not only chasing team glory, but is also bidding to carve himself into the Mount Rushmore of the NFL.
Texans vs Chiefs: when, where, how to watch?
In the 2024-25 Divisional round, the Chiefs host the Texans on Saturday, January 18, 2025, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The clash is scheduled to kick off at 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT.
Viewers in the US will be able to watch Houston vs Kansas City on ESPN, ABC and ESPN+. Your can stream ESPN and ABC on the online platform fubo, which offers a free trial.
Will Taylor Swift be at the Texans vs the Chiefs?
Kelce has strongly indicated, albeit not outright confirmed, that Swift will indeed be at Arrowhead Stadium for this weekend’s postseason matchup.
During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show on Monday, Kelce was asked: “Is there going to be an aura in that place, a little bit extra? You know what we’re talking about.” The tight end responded: “Oh yeah, you know it, baby. It’s playoff football, man.”
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