Should Travis Kelce be considered a Hall of Famer?
By: Jake Rajala
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has many tight end records, impressive individual game performances, and he’s already won a Super Bowl. Kelce, who has a brother named Jason, is already recognized as a Top 10 TE in NFL history. The question is: if he retired today, would he be cast into Canton as a first-ballot of Hall of Famer?
Let’s take a sharp look into the career of Kelce and see if he has done enough to be a future Hall of Famer already. Here is an overview of Kelce’s magical football journey:
- 57 career receving touchdowns
- 9,006 career receving yards
- 704 career receptions
- Seven time Pro Bowl selection
- Three time All-Pro selection
- Super Bowl LVI champion
- Three missed games in the past eight seasons
Kelce has the record for the most 1,000 yard seasons by a TE and it’s clear he’s an elite TE with not only Patrick Mahomes but QBs like Alex Smith, too. The Chiefs TE is as much of a product of Pat Mahomes, as he is of Andy Reid. It’s fair to say that Kelce is more efficient and dominant with Mahomes, nonetheless. Kelce has been even led the team in yards in two of the past three seasons with Mahomes at QB.
So, it’s clear that Kelce is a gifted player and athlete. Well, here’s a look at how he compares to a few of the tight ends from the 2000s that have made the Hall of Fame or will most likely make the Hall of Fame.
Shannon Sharpe
- 10,060 career receiving yards
- 62 career receving touchdowns
- four time All-Pro
- Three time Super Bowl champion
- Inducted in 2011
Tony Gonzalez
- 15,127 career receving yards
- 111 career receving touchdowns
- six time All Pro
- Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019
Jason Witten
- 13,046 career receving yards
- 74 career receving touchdowns
- two time All Pro selection
Robert Gronkowski
- 9,286 career receving yards
- 92 career recevieing touchdowns
- Four time All-Pro selection
- Four Super Bowl rings
It’s well known that it’s not easy for a tight end to make it into the Hall of Fame. Although, TEs were not generally thought of as dominant slot catching machines until the 2000s. I believe if Kelce retired today or played a modest season in 2022 and unexpectedly decided to retire after next season, he would have a similar career resume as Witten. The Cowboys special TE isn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer like Gonzalez, but he will surely get into Canton.
If Kelce wins another Super Bowl (at least) and makes another All-Pro team, I expect him to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He wouldn’t match the Super Bowl count of Sharpe or production of the legendary TE Gonzalez, but he would have a really impressive combination of regular-season success and Super Bowl victories.
I foresee Kelce making a few more Pro Bowls, obtaining at least one more All-Pro honor, and I believe that Mahomes, Hill, and Kelce will win one more Super Bowl together. If Kelce wins two Super Bowls and fails to make another All-Pro team, he deserves to still be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Furthermore, if he earns two All-Pro honors and somehow can’t reel in another Super Bowl ring, I expect that path to help him get into Canton with his first open door. He still has a bit of work to do in order to be a “first-ballot Hall of Famer”, but I expect him to follow Gonzalez as a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he hangs up his cleats.
