While the swirl of chatter surrounding Travis Kelce on Christmas Day revolved around whether he planned to retire at the end of the season, the 11-time Pro Bowl champion is quietly coming to an end. Go to number 9 On the NFL’s all-time receiving list.
Kelce’s fifth and final catch in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos was No. 1,077, moving him past the game. Ankan Bouldin. With two more receptions in the Chiefs’ regular-season finale, Kelce will excel Terrell Owens In position number 8.
Statistics seemed to be the last thing on Kelce’s mind as he walked out of Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday, perhaps for the last time. The Chiefs will finish the season on the road next week against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Kelsey’s final years are closely linked to his fiancée Taylor Swift. Was this the last time the music star would do this? Enjoy the Kelce Luxury Family Suite To watch her lover arrange receptions? (If so, let the record show that Swift wore a jacket.) Red bomber jacket From Frankie’s store.)
Kelsey, 36, admitted that he felt meditative afterward.
“There are a lot of emotions,” he told reporters. “You have everyone in the world watching you. You get to get out there with the young people on prime time television. The young people get a chance to get a taste of what NFL life is like.”
For Kelce, life in the NFL has been fulfilling. He has won three Super Bowls and is sure to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He played his entire 13-year career with the Chiefs.
So while he was sorting through his feelings and memories after the game, he was enjoying the adulation beforehand.
“You only get a few of those where you can stand there and appreciate 70,000 Chiefs fans cheering you on,” he explained. “I always embrace that moment.
“You feel generations of happiness and love [the fans] He owns. It’s a beautiful thing, man.”
For a decade, Kelce has been a regional sports figure, respected in the Midwest as a tough, consistent producer on the field. His profile began to change before the 2022 season when he and his brother Jason launched an instantly popular podcast, “New Heights.”
Kelce and Swift began dating before the 2023 season, and a year later, the Kelce brothers signed a three-year, $100 million podcast deal with Amazon wonders. Then in August, Kelsey and Swift announced their engagement.
Tight ends, with their three-point stances and proximity to tackles and guards, don’t traditionally seek or attract attention. But Kelsey is now a national celebrity.
Just don’t let that cloud his numbers. Kelce has 73 catches for 839 yards in 2025, which puts him on the side Jerry Rice As the only player in NFL history to surpass the 800 receiving yards mark in 12 consecutive seasons. Kelce is also the only tight end to surpass 90 catches for seven straight seasons, a streak that will end this year.
Rice, the former San Francisco 49ers great, is an N.F.L Leading receiver of all time With 1549 catches. Larry Fitzgerald is next with 1,432. Then come the only tight ends with more catches than Kelce: Tony Gonzalez (1,325) and Jason Whitten (1,228).
If Kelce decided to play another season, he would almost certainly rise to fifth place, surpassing Marvin Harrison (1,102), Cris Carter (1,101) and Tim Brown (1,094) as well as Owens.
Kelsey may have already decided if this is the right time to retire. He’s not ready to say that, indicating he’ll tell the Chiefs shortly after the season ends.
“I will leave that decision to be made with my family, friends and the Chiefs organization when the time comes,” he said.