LAS VEGAS — Ironically, Travis Kelsey, like, say, the most popular pop and country music singer-songwriters imaginable, does his best on the biggest stages.
On the eve of the 2024 Super Bowl vs. the 49ers, he’s being talked about as the best tight end in NFL history. If the Chiefs win their third Lombardi Trophy on Sunday night at Allegiant Stadium, it will likely mean that Kelce has made enough of an impact to be the GOAT tight end.
We marvel and wonder how he gets open and how often and whenever he needs to be open.
“He’s got the feet of a midget and the skill to move inside a big man’s body,” said ESPN analyst and former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum. “So he’s like the best of both worlds. He can create isolation as a route runner, but he’s a great guy.”
But there’s more to Kelce’s game than that.
“To me, it’s literally just his ability to think on his feet,” NFL on CBS analyst Charles Davis told the Post. And of course the play turns into something else. He runs routes, feels what’s there, feels what the quarterback needs, feels where the quarterback is going, provides a safety net for relief, and maybe the primary target. How many times have I seen myself put in a place where I become? Whatever you want to describe it, he does it.
“A coach told me years ago that the best receivers have a great sense of space, understand the space, understand where everyone else is, understand where the good spots are. To me, that’s his essence.”
See Mahomes’ freestyle. Check out Kelce’s freestyle with him.
“I think it’s their ability to know when to do something that wasn’t planned,” Davis said. “He understands the offense. He doesn’t just go out there and build it in the dirt. He knows the whole offense and how it’s designed, and then… Find out where the holes are, where the spots are, where you fit in, without interfering with other people’s routes.”
Tyler Dunn runs golongtd.com and wrote the book “The Blood and Guts: How Tight Ends Save Football.” I asked him to define the essence of Kelce’s greatness.
“When I think about what makes me do this, [Mike] Ditka special, [Jeremy] Shocky, [George] kittle, gronk [Rob Gronkowski], these tight ends, and some of the best tight ends ever, like to have fun off the field and push the limits and are kind of wild kids,” Dunn said. “They’re somehow able to channel their personality and their way of attacking life into this position where they beat people up for a living and risk it all to catch the ball downfield.”
Kelce, 34, has the telepathy for Mahomes that Gronk had for Tom Brady.
“The other part is the trust he has with Mahomes,” Dunn continued. “Everyone sees it, but it’s really crazy that Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady had something special and everyone makes fun of Gronk like this caveman. I loved him, but he was a lot smarter than anyone really realized, even in the classroom. He could run routes that a lot of Patriot receivers couldn’t run. knew where to turn on those option routes, knew what Brady was thinking, and I’m sure you know the same thing with Mahomes and Kelce and then some. I think you can see the connections. There’s a lot of improvisation, a lot of second-order reactions.”
Andy Reid will find a mismatch with Kelce.
“You’re one of the best offensive minds who knows how to push the buttons and bring this guy into one-on-one matchups,” Dunn said. They somehow know the gaps in the defense to sneak into gaps in the defense, whether it’s Mahomes running around or Kelce turning Mahomes around and knowing exactly where to scramble. It’s hard to pinpoint, but I think that’s probably the most important thing. They frequently turn soccer into a basketball game. Until you see it, there is no way to train or practice for it. ”
Former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi has witnessed the evolution of the tight end position.
“We used to have great receiving tight ends — Kellen Winslow, John Mackey among others — but in this recent vintage, tight ends have become a very distinctive part of the offense. They’re creating mismatches in the secondary because they’re so big,” Accorsi told the Post.
In 2005, Accorsi signed 6-foot-6 receiver Plaxico Burress to add another dimension to Eli Manning.
“In addition to being a breakaway receiver, he gave Eli a big goal,” Accorsi said. “I call them aircraft carriers. These 6-5, 250-pound tight ends are a safety net for them. If they’re covered by a 6-2, 6-3 linebacker, They can still make catches with their athleticism, and you see that all the time with Kelce and Gronkowski. They’re smart and know how to get open and make plays even when they’re not open. And once you catch the ball, it’s hard to beat. [Sam] Laporta…there’s a whole new group of people. ”
Accorsi ranks Kelce and Gronkowski at the top of this tight end generation. Old-timers will point to former Colts Hall of Famer John Mackey. Tannenbaum ranked former Falcons Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (1,325 receptions, 15,127 yards, 111 TDs) as the best player of all time, ahead of Kelce, calling him “just a slightly better athlete.” Unfortunately, he only won one game in the playoffs. He had 30 wins, 286 losses and four touchdowns in seven postseason games in 17 seasons with the Chiefs and Falcons. Kelce (907 wins, 11,328 wins, 74 TDs) has 156 wins, 1,810 wins, and 19 TDs in 21 postseason games. Of course, Gonzalez never played with Mahomes. Gronk (521-7,861-79 TDs) had 98-1,389-15 TDs in 22 postseason games.
Kelce has 22 wins, 257 losses, 2 TDs and two rings in three Super Bowls. Gronkowski won four rings in five Super Bowls and had 29 wins, 364 losses and five touchdowns. In these three playoff games, Kelce has recorded 23 wins, 262 losses, and 3 TDs. He gets Taylor Swift’s vote.
“He’s one of the best players I’ve ever seen,” Accorsi said.
